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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  M:  i! '  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/iCMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHJVI/iCMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


<^ 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 
D 


n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  9t/ou  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  ur  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  dtd  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 
D 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fWtni  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 


□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

0    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachet^es  ou  piqu6es 

□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualit^  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplimentaire 


r~|    Showthrough/ 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Th 
to 


Th 
po 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
thi 
sic 
oti 
fir 
sic 
or 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film^es  d  nouveau  de  faqon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
sh 
TH 
wl 

M( 
dif 
en 
be 
rig 
rei 
mt 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

' 

y 

t 

12X                             16X                             20X                             24X                             28X                            32X 

Th«  copy  f ilmsd  h«.  •  has  b«an  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  ths  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnArosIt*  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  imagas  suivantas  ont  AtA  reproduites  avac  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nettetA  de  rexemplaira  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporta  una  ampreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diaprtims  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  it  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

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SUMMER  IN  ALASKA. 


A  rorUI.AR   ACCOUNT  OI-  'IHK  TRAVKI.S  OF  AN  ALASKA  KXI'LORING  EX- 

I'KDITIOX  AI.ONc;  THE  GKKAT  VUKON  RIVKR,  FROM  ITS  SOURCE 

TO  MS  MOUTH.  IN  THE  BRITISH  NORTH-VVF.SI    TERRI- 

TORY,  AND  IN  THE  TERRI'KJRY  OF  ALASKA. 


BY 


FREDERICK   SCHWATKA, 

Laureate  of   the    Paris   Geographical  Society  and   ol  the   Imperial  Geographical  Society  of 

Russia,  Honorary  Member  Bremen  Geographical  Society,  etc., 

etc.    Commander  of  the  Expedition. 


f' 


PHILADEI.l'HIA: 

JOHN-   Y.    nUBER    COMPANY. 
I89I. 


i 


)'■,■) 


«*ali«--*64i£iii«**i« 


MAY  ^  7  ^8 


CorVKIGIIT, 

1891, 

By  W.  J.  BROOKS. 


"•"•^"'tiiiiiMtiiffl 


\H2.1 


66 


PREFACE. 

These  pages  narrate  the  travels,  in  a  popular  sense, 
of  the  latest  Alaska    exploring  expedition.     In  April 
the    expedition    was   organized    with   seven    members 
at   Vancouver   Barracks,    AVashington   Territory,  and 
left  Portland,   Oregon,  in  May,  ascending  the  inland 
passage  to  Alaska  as  far  as  the  Chilkat  country  ;  there 
the  party  employed   over  three  score  of  the  Chilkat 
Tndians  to  pack  its  effects  across  the  glacier-clad  pass  of 
tlie  Alaskan  coast  range  of  mountains  to  the  head-waters 
of  the  Yukon.      Here  a  large  raft  was  constructed,  and 
on  tills  primitive  craft,  sailing  through  nearly  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  of  lakes,  and  shooting  a  number  of  rapids, 
the  ])arty  floated  along  the  great  stream  for  over  thirteen 
hundred  miles,  the  longest  raft  journey  ever  made,  in 
the  interest  of  geographical  science.     The  entire  river, 
over  two  tiiousand  miles,  was  traversed,  the  party  return- 
ing home  by  way  of  Bering's  Sea,  and  touchinf.  at  the 
^Ueutian  Islands. 


2!,!91.37 


'4:~-Tih'-^'<*aimiignm 


iiiffmifrim 


CONTENTS. 


ClIAPTF.B. 


I.  I.NTROnrCTOKV, 

IT.  TiiF,  IxiAxi)  Passaoi:  to  Alaska, 

III.  In  Tui:  C'mi-KAT  (\)i  XTHV, 

LV.  (>vi,!i  Tin:  MorxTAiN  l*Ass, 

V.  ALo\(i  Tin:  J^AKKs,  .       ■  . 

VT.  A  C'HAJ'TKR  AUOL'T  RAFTrXG, 

Vri.  The  Gkam)  Canox  ok  the  Yfkox, 

A^ITI.  J)owx  the  KivEii  TO  Sklkihk, 

IX.  TlIKOrCJH   TJIE  UlM'EIi  J{A.M  PARTS, 

X.  TifRorcsii  TJiE  YuKox  Flat-laxds, 

XI.  TjiRoucnr  the  Lower]|ami»arts  axd 

OF  Til E  li\ FT  Jor R X EY, 

X i  I .  J  )0WX  THE  K I VE R  A  X  I)  PFo^f  i:, 

Xlir.  Discovery  AxXd  History', 

XIV.  The  rF:oi>LE  a  xd  tj  r  ei  r  Indtst  r  i  es, 

XV.  Geographical  Features,  . 
Appendix,    ...,., 


EX!) 


Pa.,!:. 

.■>:; 

1)0 
I. '51 

ir,-i 
1 7r» 

207 
2()4 

2<SI> 

:Mr> 

;^0l 
405 


'V       , 


■iiAj^tnitm**ii^ 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


TAKEX   FIIOM    IMI«)TO(JKAl'IIS  IJY    mi.    IIOMAN. 


Dayay  Vallky,  NoiRsK  Kivi.;i{ 
Dayay  ^'AI,LKY,  vmm  Camp  4 

LaKK   LlNDK.MAN    .... 
LaKK   liKXNKTT 

Lakk  Mahsii        .        . 

Gkani)  Canon  ..... 

TiiK  Cascadks      .... 

LoHING   BllFP 

KiT'L-AH-(iON  Indian  Village  . 
iNfJKHsoLL  Islands 
MoLTii  OK  Pklly  Rivkr 
Looking  up  Yl'kon  kkom  Selkirk 
Ayan  Graye  at  Selkirk  . 
Ayan  Indians  in  Canoes 
Konit'l,  Ayan  Chief 
Klat-ol-klin  Village     . 
Steadier  "Yukon" 

NrKLAKAYET         

The  Raft,  at  end  op  its  Journey 

oonalaska 

Map  1,  Map  of  Alaska  Exploring 


Expedition 


PaRo 

7:5 
\)\\ 

101 

121 

I  IKS 

11»7 

201 

20!) 

21.*{ 

217 

221 

2;!0 

2.-).'} 

27(5 

.'507 

WVi 

WW 


FROM    SKKTCIII-S   BY   SEROKAXT   GLOSTEH. 
Crater  Lake,  British  NoRTH-^VE.ST  Territory,  the  source 
OF  Alaska's  Grevt  TJivfr  in 

^jni.Ai    i\i\ii,K  .  .  .  FrONTISPIFPF 

Canoeing  UP  the  Dayay     .        .  ^  «< -misi  ikce. 

Ascending  the  Terrier  Pass        .        .        .  '     .   '               "  Jjl' 

In  a  Storm  on  the  Lakes    ...                          '       '  „'* 

Lake  Bove       .        .                    ' 

"Stick"  Indians  .        .'.".'. ^^^^ 

Among  THE  "  Sweepers  "        . |^J 

Prying  the  Raft  off  a  Bar    .  ^t 

Grayling  .       .                                        ^^^ 

154 


i».'-.^t!jum*,ftai»»»M 


J  J  ST  OF  ll.LrSTliAriOSS. 


THIC  AF 


In  tfik  Rink  Raimds    . 
Clay  Hlikks  (in  tiik  Yikon 

OUTLKT  OK  IjAKK   KlIKTASSI    . 

Tmk  Rink  Kapids 

Tiik  Hiinh  of  Sklkiuk   . 

In  tiik  Uppkk  Kampahts   . 

MoosKSKIN   MorNTAIN 

RogrKTTK  RoiK  .... 

RoiNDAUY  JilTTK       . 

LowKH  Ramparts  Rapids  . 
Moi  Tii  OF  Tanana  . 
Fai.mno  Ranks  of  Yikon 
Anvik 

FifoM  i)IA(;i:am  and  plans  hy 

Tiik  Inland  Passacjk 

SCKNKS  IN  THE   INLAND   RassaUK 

Sitka,  Alaska  .... 

ClIILKAT  RracELET 

Rykamid  IIahhor,  Chilkat  Inlet 
CiiiLKAT  Indian  Packer     .... 
Methods  of  Trackincj  a  Canoe  up  a  Rapid 

Salmon  Spears    

Walkin(5  a  Loo 

CiiAsiN(}  a  Mountain  Goat 

Snow  Shoes 

Pins  for  Fastenincj  Marmot  Snares 

"SNUHHiNf}"  the  Raft 

Banks  of  the  Y^ukon         .... 
ScRAPiN(j  along  a  Bank         .... 
Course  of  Raft  and  Axis  of  Stream    . 
Whirlpool  at  Lower  End  of  Island 
Alaska  Brown  Bear  Fkuitincj  Mosquitoes 
Ayan  and  Chilkat  Gambling  Tools 
Plan  of  Ayan  Summer  House 

Ayan  Moose  Arrow 

Ayan  Winter  Tent 

A  Gravel  Bank        

Fishing  Nets 

Salmon  Killing  Club 

A  Moose  Head 

Moss  ON  Yukon  River 

Indian  "Cache" 

Indian  Out-door  Gun  Coverinc;  . 


riKu:  A.vi)  o 


,  17» 
17J5 
184 

24  :t 

.   ano 

2<51 
.'iO.'i 

:{.•?() 
riiKK.s. 

la 

11) 

20 
43 

.     r.3 

(54 
76 
80 
^2 

87 
.     112 

131 
.     135 

UO 
.     152 

153 
.     174 

227 
.     229 

231 
.    233 

236 
.     258 

259 
.     264 

267 
.     289 

313 


irr, 

|S| 

11)1 
2or, 

I'd  I 

F{S. 

12 

1!) 
2!) 


A  SUMMFR  IN  ALASKA. 


OIIAPTKR  I. 


r  NTIIO  1)  T'  «'TO  11  Y 


HIS  Alaskan  exploring  ('X[)CHlitu;u  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  members:  Lieut.  Sclnvatka, 
II.  S.  A.,  commanding;  Dr.  <».  or^^;  R  Wilson, 
r.  S  ',.,  Surgeon  ;  Topographical  Assistanf  Charles  A. 
Iloman,  U.S.  Engineers,  Toi)ogra])hei  and  Photographer; 
Sergeant  Charles  A.  Gloster,  LI.  S.  A.,  Artist;  Corjjoral 
Shircliff,  U.S.A.,  in  charge  of  stores  ;  Private  Kolli, 
assistant,  and  Citizen  J.  B.  Mclntosli,  aminer,  wlu  had 
lived  in  Alaska  and  was  well  acquainted  witli  its  methods 
of  travel.  Indians  and  others  were  added  and  discharged 
from  time  to  tinu^  as  hereafter  noted. 

The  main  object  of  the  exjjedition  was  to  acquii-e 
such  information  of  the  country  traversed  and  its  wikl 
inhabitants  as  would  be  valuable  to  the  military 
authorities  in  the  future,  and  as  a  ma])  would  be  need- 
ful to  illustrate  such  information  well,  the  party's 
efforts  were  rewarded  with  making  the  expedition 
successful  in  a  geographical  sense.  I  had  hoped  to 
be  able,  through  qualiiied  subordinates,  to  extend  our 
scientific  knowledge  of  the  country  explored,  espec- 
ially in  regard  to  its  botany,  geology,  natural  history, 
etc.;   and,   although  these    subjects   would  not  in  any 


^uraoi 


10 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  (JRKAT  RIVKR. 


event  have    been    adequately    discussed  in  a  popular 
treatise  like  the  present,  it  must  be  admitted  that  little 
was  accomi^lished  in  these  branches.     The  explanation 
of  this  is  as  follows :  When  authority  was  asked  from 
Congress  for  a  sum  of  money  to  make  such  explorations 
under  military  supervision  and  the  request  was  dis- 
approved })y  the  General  of  the  Army  and  Secretary  of 
War.     This  disapproval,  combined  with  the  active  oppo- 
sition of  government  departments  which  were  assigned 
to  work  of  the  same  general  character  and  coupled  with 
the  reluctance  of  Congress  tt)  make  any  appropriations 
whatever  that  year,  was  sufRcient  to  kill  such  an  under- 
taking. When  the  military  were  withdrawn  from  Alaska 
by  the  President,  about  the  year  1878,  a.  p;iragrai)h  ap- 
peared at  the  end  of  the  President's   order  stating  that 
no  further  control  would  ])e  exercised  bv  the  army  in 
Alaska  ;  and  this  proviso  was   variously  interpi'eted  by 
the  friends  of  the  army  and  its  enemies,  as  a  humiliation 
either  to  the  army  or  to  the  President,  accoiding  to  the 
private  belief  of  the  commentatoi-.      It  was  therefoi'e 
seriously  debated  whether  any  military  expedition   or 
])arty  sent  into  that  country  for  any  purpose  whatever 
would  not  be  a  direct  violation  of  the  President's  jmo- 
scriptive  order,  and  when  it  was  decided  to  waive  that 
consideration,  and  send  in  a  party,  it  was  considered  too 
much  of  a  responsibility  to  ad<l  any  specialists  in  science, 
with  the  disap]iroval  of  the  Ueneral  and  the   Secretary 
hardly  dry  on  the  })a])er.     The  expedition  was  therefore, 
to  avoid  being  lecalled,  kejit  as  seciet  as   possible,  and 
when,   (m  ^fay  22d,  it  de])art«'d  from  Portland,  Oregon, 
upon  the  V)clorift„  a  vessel  which  had  been  specially  put 
on  the  Ala  ska  route,  only  a  two  or  three  line  notice  had 


l'v 


'■.•"♦•.>iJ^J(„«.J,J»^ 


popular 
liat  liftie 
^1  anal  ion 
ed  from 

lorations 
was  clis- 
etary  of 
v^e  opj)o- 
issigned 
'ed  witli 
nations 
nndo)'- 
AJaska 
jpli  aj)- 
ig  that 
miy  ill 
ted  bv 
liation 
to  tlie 
'I'ei'ore 
on  or 
it(n«'r 
i  \n-o- 
'  that 
d  too 
enoe. 
ritarv 

• 

foi'e, 
and 
gon, 
■  put 
liad 


INTROJJ  UCTOH  \ . 


11 


gotten  into  tlie  Oregon  jxipeis  announcing  the  fact ; 
a  notice  tliat  in  spreading  was  referred  to  in  print  by 
one  government  official  as  ''a  junketing  party,"  by 
another  as  a  '^prospec^ting "  party,  while  another 
bitterly  acknowledged  that  had  ho  received  another 
day's  intimation  he  could  have  had  the  party  recalled 
by  Ihe  authoiities  at  Washington.  Thus  the  little  ex- 
pedition which  gave  the  lirst  complete  survey  to  the 
third  '■'•'  river  of  our  countiy  stole  away  like  a  thief  in  the 
night  and  with  far  less  money  in  its  hands  to  conduct 
it  through  its  long  journey  than  was  afterward  appro- 
priatetl  by  Congress  to  publish  its  report. 

Leaving  Portland  at  midnight  on  the  22d,  the  Victo- 
ria ai-i'ived  at  Astoi-ia  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  the 
forenoon  of  the  2;kl,  the  remaining  hours  of  daylight 
being  employed  in  loading  with  supplies  for  a  numl)er  of 
salmon  canneri(>s  in  Alaska,  the  large  amount  of  freight 
for  which  liad  necessitated  this  extra  steamer.  That 
night  we  crossed  the  Columbia  River  bar  and  next 
morjiing  entered  the  Strait  of  Juande  Fuca,  the  southern 
entrance  from  the  Pacilic  Ocean  which  leads  to  the  in- 
land passage  to  Alaska. 


*  The  largest  rivor  on  the  North  American  continent  so  far  as  this 
miglity  stream  flows  Avithiu  our  houndaries.  .  .  .  The  people  of 
tiie  United  States  wiil  not  be  quick  to  take  to  the  idea  thai  the  vol- 
ume of  water  in  an  Alaskan  river  is  greater  than  tiiat  discharged  by 
the  mighty  Mississippi ;  but  it  is  entirely  within  the  bounds  of  honest 
statement  to  soy  that  the  Yukon  river  .  .  .  discharges  every 
hour  one-third  iiiore  water  than  the  ''  Father  of  Waters." — Petroff's 
Government  Report  on  Alaska. 


^mmm 


■Ml 


MH 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE   INLAND   PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


I  . 


; 


•v 


PASSAGE  "       to 
is    tlie    fjord -like 


SLAND 
Alaska 
[|  channel,  resembling  a  great 
river,  which  extends  from 
the  northwestern  part  of 
Washington  T  e  r  r  i  t  o  r  j-, 
through  British  Columbia, 
into  southeastern  Alaska. 
Along  this  coast  line  for 
about  a  thousand  miles,  stretches  a  vast  archipelago 
closely  hugging  the  mainland  of  the  Territories  named 
above,  the  southernmost  important  island  being  Van- 
couver, almost  a  diminutive  continent  in  itself,  while  to 
the  north  Tchichagoff  Island  limits  it  on  the  seaboard. 

From  the  little  town  of  01ymi)ia  at  the  head  of  Puget 
Sound,  in  Washington  Territory,  to  Chilkat,  Alaska,  at 
the  head  of  Lynn  Channel,  or  Canal,  one  sails  as  if  on  a 
grand  river,  and  it  is  really  hard  to  comprehend  that  it  is 
a  portion  of  the  ocean  unless  one  can  imagine  some  deep 
fjord  in  Norway  or  Greenland,  so  deep  that  he  can  sail 
on  its  waters  for  a  fortnight,  for  the  fjord-like  character 
is  very  prominent  in  these  channels  to  which  the  name  of 
"  Inland  Passage ""  is  usually  given. 

These  channels  between  the  islands  and  mainland  are 
strikingly  uniform  in  width,  and  therefore  river-like  in 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


13 


appearance  as  one  steams  or  sails  through  them.  At 
occasional  points  tliey  connect  ^vith  the  Pacific  ()(!ean, 
jind  if  there  be  a  storm  on  the  latter,  a  few  rolling  swells 
may  enter  at  these  places  and  disturb  the  equilibrium  of 
sensitive  stonuu'hs  for  ii  brief  hour,  but  at  all  other 
l)hices  the  (?hannel  is  as  quiet  as  any  broad  river,  what- 
ever the  weather.  On  the  south  we  have  the  Strait  of 
,hian  de  Fiica  and  to  the  north  Cross  Sound  as  the  limit- 
ing channels,  while  between  the  two  are  found  Dixon 
Hiitrance,  which  sei)arates  .Vlaska  from  British  Colum- 
bia, Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  and  other  less  important 
outlets. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24tli  of  May  we  entered  the 
Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  named  after  an  explorer — if 
such  he  may  be  called — who  never  entered  this  beautiful 
sheet  of  water,  and  who  owes  his  immortality  to  an 
audacious  guess,  which  came  so  near  the  truth  as  to 
deceive  the  scientific  world  for  many  a  century.  To  the 
left,  as  we  enter,  i.e.,  northward,  is  the  beautiful  British 
island  of  Vancouver,  the  name  of  which  commemorates 
one  of  the  world's  most  famous  explorers.  Its  high 
rolling  hills  are  covered  with  shaggy  firs,  broken  near 
the  beach  into  little  prairies  of  brighter  green,  which  are 
dotted  here  and  there  with  pretty  little  white  cottages, 
the  humblest  abodes  we  see  among  the  industrious, 
British  or  American,  who  live  in  the  far  west. 

The  Amt^rican  side,  to  the  southward,  gives  us  the 
same  pictr.'e  backed  by  the  high  range  of  the  Olympian 
Mountains,  whose  tops  are  covered  with  perpetual  snow, 
and  upon  whose  cold  sides  drifting  clouds  are  con- 
densed. 

Through  British  Columbia  the  sides  of  this  passage  are 


;i 


M 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


I  • 


11 


covered  witli  firs  and  spruce  to  the  very  tops  of  tlie  steep 
mountains  forming  them,  but  as  Northing  is  gained 
and  Alaska  is  I'eached  tlie  summits  are  covered  witli  snow 
and  ice  at  all  months  of  the  year,  and  by  the  time  we 
cast  anchor  in  Chilkat  Inlet,  which  is  about  the  north- 
ernmost point  of  this  great  inland  salt-water  river,  we 
find  in  many  places  these  crowns  of  ice  debouching  in 
the  shape  of  glaciers  to  the  very  Avater's  level,  and  the 
tourist  beholds,  on  a  regular  line  of  steamboat  travel, 
ghu'iers  and  icebergs,  and  many  of  the  wonders  of  arctic 
regions,  although  upon  a  reduced  scale.  Alongside  the 
very  banks  and  edges  of  these  colossal  riveis  of  ice  one 
can  gather  the  most  beautiful  of  Alpine  fiowers  and 
wade  up  to  his  waist  in  grasses  that  equal  in  luxuriance 
the  famed  fields  of  the  pampas  ;  while  the  singing  of  the 
birds  from  the  woods  and  glens  and  the  fragrance  of  the 
foliage  make  one  easily  imagine  ihat  the  Arctic  circle 
and  equator  have  been  linked  together  at  this  point. 

Entering  Juan  de  Fuca  Strait  a  few  hours  were  spent 
in  the  pretty  little  anchorage  of  Neali  Bay,  the  first 
shelter  for  ships  after  rounding  Caj)e  Flattery,  and  here 
some  merchandise  was  unloaded  in  the  huge  Indian 
canoes  that  came  alongside,  each  one  holding  at  least 
a  ton. 

Victoria,  the  metropolis  of  British  Columbia,  was 
reached  the  same  day,  and  as  it  was  the  Queen's  birth- 
day we  saw  the  town  in  all  its  bravery  of  beer,  bunting 
and  banners.  Our  vessel  tooted  itself  hoarse  outside  the 
harbor  to  get  a  iDilot  over  the  bar,  but  none  was  to  be 
had  till  late  in  the  day,  when  a  i)ilot  came  out  to  us 
showing  plainly  by  his  condition  that  he  knew  every  bar 
in  and  about  Victoria.    With  the  bar  pilot  on  the  bridge, 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


15 


so  Jis  to  save  insurance  should  an  accident  occur, 
we  entered  the  picturesque  little  harbor  in  safety, 
despite  tile  discoveries  of  our  p:uide  that  since  his  last 
visit  all  the  buoys  had  been  woefully  misplaced,  and  (nen 
the  granite  channel  had  changed  its  course,  l^ut  \'w- 
toria  has  many  embellishments  more  durable  tluin  bunt- 
ing and  banners,  and  most  cons})icuous  among  them  are 
her  well  arranged  and  well  constructed  roads,  in  which 
she  has  no  equal  on  the  Pacilic  coast  of  Noith  Ameiica, 
and  but  few  rivals  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

On  the  2Gth  we  crossed  over  to  Port  Townsend,  the 
port  of  entry  for  Puget  sound,  and  on  the  27th  we 
headed  for  Alaska  by  way  of  the  Inland  Passage. 

For  purposes  of  description  this  course  should  have 
been  designated  the  "inland  passages,"  in  the  plural, 
for  its  branches  are  almost  innumerable,  running  in  all 
directions  like  the  streets  of  an  irregular  city,  although 
now  and  then  they  are  reduced  to  a  single  channel  or 
fjord  which  the  steamer  is  obliged  to  take  or  put  out  to 
sea.  At  one  point  in  Discovery  Passage  leading  fi-om 
the  Gulf  of  Georgia  toward  Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  tli(^ 
inland  passage  is  so  narrow  that  our  long  vessel  had  to 
steam  under  a  slew  bell  to  avoid  accidents,  and  at  this 
place,  called  Seymour  Narrows,  there  was  much  talk  of 
bridiijing  the  narrow  way  in  the  grand  scheme  of  a  Can- 
adian Pacific  Railway,  which  should  have  its  western 
terminus  at  Victoria.  Through  this  contracted  way  the 
water  fairly  boils  when  at  its  greatest  velocity,  equaling 
ten  miles  an  hour  in  spring  tides,  and  at  such  times  the 
passage  is  hazardous  even  to  steamers,  while  all  other 
craft  avoid  it  until  slack  water.  Jutting  rocks  increase 
the  danger,  and  on  one  of  these  the  United  States  man- 


^  ,v 


tl 


I 


I 


I 


16 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


of-wnr  F^arcoKtr  was  lost  just  ei^lit  yeiii's  before  we 
passed  throu^Mi.  At  the  northeiii  end  of  this  i»ietui- 
es(|(iie  J)is('oveiy  l*assa^e  you  see  the  inhiud  passage 
ti'eiidin<i"  away  to  tlie  eastward,  witli  (juite  a  bay  on  the 
left  around  (Miatham  Point,  and  while  you  are  wondering 
in  that  half  soliloquizing  way  of  a  traveler  in  new  lands 
what  you  will  see  after  you  have  tnrned  to  the  right, 
the  gi-eat  ship  swings  suddenly  to  the  left,  and  you  iind 
that  what  you  took  for  a  bay  is  after  all  the  inland  i)as- 
sage  itself,  which  stretches  once  more  before  you  like 
the  Hudson  looking  ui)ward  from  West  Point,  or  the 
Delaware  at  the  Water  Gap.  For  all  such  little  surjirises 
must  the  tourist  be  prei)ared  on  this  singular  voyage. 

The  new  bend  now  becomes  Johnstone  Htrait  and  so 
continues  to  Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  with  which  it  con- 
nects by  one  strait,  two  i)assages  and  a  channel,  all  alike, 
except  in  name,  and  none  much  over  ten  miles  long. 
At  nearly  every  point  where  a  new  channel  diverges 
both  arms  take  on  a  new  name,  and  they  change  as 
rapidly  as  the  names  of  a  Lisbon  street,  which  seldom 
holds  the  same  over  n,  few  blocks.  The  south  side  of 
Johnstone  Strait  is  particularly  high,  rising  abruptly 
from  the  water  fully  n,()(X)  feet,  and  in  grandeur  not 
unlike  the  Yellowstone  Cafion.  These  summits  were 
still  covered  with  snow  and  probably  on  northern  slopes 
snow  remains  the  summer  through.  One  noticeable 
vallev  was  on  the  Vancouver  Island  side,  with  a  con- 
spicuous conical  hill  in  its  bosom  that  may  have  been 
over  a  thousand  feet  in  height.  These  cone-like  kills 
are  so  common  in  flat  valleys  in  northwestern  America 
that  I  thought  it  worth  while  to  mention  the  fact  in  this 
place.     I  shall  have  occasion  to  do  so  again  at  a  later 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


17 


point  in  my  nuiTativc.  Occasionally  ^vindl•()^vs  occur 
tlii'ou,i2;li  the  dense  coniferous  forests  of  the  inlaiul  ])as- 
sage,  wher<;  the  trees  have  been  swept  or  hneled  in  a 
remarkable  manner.  Such  as  were  cut  vertically  had 
been  caused  })y  an  avalanche,  and  in  these  instances  the 
woik  of  clearing  had  been  done  as  faithfully  as  if  by  the 
hands  of  num.  Scmietimes  the  bright  green  moss  or 
grass  had  grown  \\\)  in  these  narrow  ways,  and  when  there 
was  more  than  one  of  about  the  same  age  there  was  quite 
a  picturesque  effect  of  stripings  of  two  shades  of  green, 
executed  on  a  most  colossal  i)lan.  These  windrows  of 
fallen  trees  sometimes  stretched  along  horizontally  in 
varying  widths,  an  effect  undoubtedly  produced  by 
heavy  gales  rushing  through  the  contracted  "  passage." 

One's  notice  is  attracted  by  a  species  of  natural  beacon 
which  materially  assists  the  navigator.  Over  almost  all 
the  shoals  and  submerged  rocks  liang  fields  of  kelj),  a 
growth  with  which  the  whole  "passage"  abounds,  thus 
affording  a  timely  warning  badly  needed  where  the 
channel  has  been  imperfectly  charted.  An  one  might 
surmise  the  water  is  very  bold,  and  these  submerged  and 
ragged  rocks  are  in  general  most  to  be  feared.  Leaving 
Johnstone  Strait  we  enter  Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  a 
channel  which  was  named,  lacking  only  three  years,  a 
century  ago.  It  widens  into  capacious  waters  at  once 
and  Ave  again  felt  the  "'throbbing  of  old  Neptune's 
pulse,"  and  those  Avith  sensitive  stomachs  j)erceived  a 
sort  of  flickering  of  their  own. 

One  Avho  is  acquainted  merely  in  a  general  way  with 
the  history  and  geogra^diy  of  this  confusing  country 
finds  many  more  Spanish  names  than  he  anticipates,  and 
to  his  surprise,  a  conscientious  investigation  shows  that 


Hill    I  1   I  .Mw—iiiifii 


, I IJ )S(1  .\L.\ SK. \ 'S  (llil':.\  T  Rl  \ i:ii. 


I'vcii  IIS  ii  is  lilt'  vii^oi'oiis  old  (yjislili.'iM  cxploi'ci's  liave 
ii(»t  r»MTi\»'(l  ;ill  lli»' credit  to  wliicli  tlicyare  entitled,  for 
iiKiiiy  of  tlieir  discovei'iey  ill  cliiiimiiii;-  liaiids  cliiiiiyed 
names  as  well  :  the  Queen  (jliarlotte  Islands,  ti  yood 
day's  inn  to  the  northwestward  of  ns,  were  named  in 
l7S7l>yan  Kn^lishinan,  avUo  ^'axe  the  uronp  the  name 
of  his  vessel,  an  aitpelhition  whicli  they  still  ivtain, 
althoiiuh  as  Florida  Blanca  they  had  known  the  banner 
of  ('astile  and  Leon  thirteen  years  before.  Mount  Ed,i!,e- 
cuiiibe,  so  i»rominentin  the  beautiful  luirborof  Sitka,  was 
onci'  Monte  San  .lacinto,  and  a  list  of  the  same  tenor 
iniiiht  be  _i>iven  that  would  ])rove  more  voluminous  than 
interestini;'.  American  chan.ii'es  in  the  <i;reat  northwest 
have  not  been  so  radical.  Boca  de  Quadra  Inlet  has 
somehow  l)ec()me  Bouquet  Inlet  to  those  knowing' it  best. 
IjU  Creole  has  de<;enerated  into  Rickreall,  and  so  on  :  the 
foreiiiii  names  have  been  man<;led  l>ut  not  annihilated. 
We  sail  across  Queen  Charlotte  Sound  as  if  we  were 
o:()in,i;-  to  bunij)  riiiht  into  the  hi<;h  land  ahead  of  us.  but 
a  little  indentation  over  the  bow  becomes  a  valley,  th<Mi 
a  bay,  and  in  ample  time  to  prevent  accidents  widens  into 
another  salt-water  liver,  about  two  miles  wide  ;ind 
twenty  times  as  lon.ir,  called  Fit>:hu<rh  Sound.  Xear  the 
head  of  th(^  sound  we  turn  abruptly  westward  into  the 
1/1  ma  PassajU'e,  and  on  its  western  shores  we  see 
nearly  the  first  sii^'ii  of  civilization  in  the  inland  passage, 
the  IiKuan  village  of  Ht'lla  Bella,  holding  probably  a 
dozi'ii  native  houses  and  a  fair  looking  chui'ch,  while  a 
few  cattle  grazing  near  the  ])lacehada  still  more  civilized 
air. 

.\s   we   steamed   through   Seaforth  Channel,    a  mc^st 
tortuous  alfair.  Indians  Avei-e  seen  paddling  in  their  huge 


' 


>.  i  -'"r 


iiost 


ui^e 


'I 


.11 


SCENES   IN  TUE   INLAND    PAtiSAUE. 


»    ''.''}! 


I'  ,:?(; 


TUK  IXLANT)  PASSAOh:  To  ALASKA. 


21 


caiKM'S  fioiii  one  island  to  an()tli('i'  <>i'  5il()ij<;'  1  li«' lii^li,  locUy 
hIkucs,  a  clu'c'iiii^-  sign  of  liabitalioii  not  juwionsly 
iioti('«'(l. 

The  great  faullof  tin;  inland  passngr  as  a  rrsoit  for 
tourists  is  in  tli<f  constant  dn-ad  of  fogs  tliat  nuiy  at  any 
time  during  certain  njontlis  of  tlie  year  comiiletely 
obscure  the  gi-and  scenery  tiiat  tempted  tia^  travelers 
thither.  Tlie  waters  of  the  ]*acili(r  Ocean  on  th«'  sea- 
board of  Ahiska  are  but  a  detlected  continuation  of  the 
warm  equatorial  current  called  the  Kuro  Siwo  of  tlu' 
Jai)anese  ;  from  tliese  wate*rs  the  air  is-  huhMi  with 
moisture,  whicli  being  thi'own  by  the  variable  winds 
against  the  snow-chid  and  ghicier-covered  sununits  of 
tlie  higher  mountains,  is  i)recipitated  as  fog  and  light 
rain,  and  oftentimes  every  thing  is  wrajiped  for  weeks 
in  these  most  annoying  mists.  July,  with  .lune  and 
August,  are  by  far  the  most  favorable  months  for  the 
traveler.  The  winter  months  are  execrable,  with  storms 
of  rain,  snow  and  sleet  constantly  occurring,  the  formei* 
along  the  Pacific  frontage,  and  the  latter  near  the 
channels  of  the  mainland. 

^filbank  Sound  gave  ns  another  taste  of  the  ocean 
swells  whicli  spoiled  the  flavor  of  our  food  completely, 
for  although  we  were  only  exposed  for  less  tluni  nn  hour 
that  hour  happened  to  come  just  about  dinner  time  ; 
after  which  we  entered  Finlayson  Passage,  some  twenty- 
five  miles  long.  This  is  a  particularly  pictures(pie  and 
bold  channel  of  water,  its  shores  covered  with  shaggy 
conifers  as  high  as  the  eye  can  reach,  and  the  mountains, 
with  their  crowns  of  snow  and  ice,  fui'nishing  supplies  of 
si)ray  for  innumerable  beautiful  waterfalls.  At  numy 
j)laces  in  the  inland  passage  from  here  on,  come  down  the 


1\i 


.1 


,1^ 


1 II' 


t " 


I  i':    ' 
1 


■A 


;?i^ 


1^  i 


!  11 


88 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVKR. 


stL'cp  timbered  niomiftiinstlu'iiio.sl  hejuitil'ul  waterfalls  fed 
from  tlie  glaciers  liiddeii  in  tim  i'og.  At  every  few  iidles 
we  pass  llie  iiumtiis  of  inlets  and  channels,  leading  away 
into  the  mountainous  country  no  one  knows  whither. 
There  aie  no  charts  which  show  more  than  the  mouths 
of  these  inlets.  Out  of  or  into  these  an  occasional  canoe 
speeds  its  silent  way  i)erchance  in  (pu'st  of  salmon  that 
here  abound,  but  the  secn'ts  of  their  hidden  ]»aths  are 
locked  in  the  savage  mind.  How  temi)ting  they  must  be 
for  exploratifni,  and  how  strange  that,  although  so  easy 
of  access,  they  still  remain  unknown.  After  twisting 
around  through  a  few  reaches,"  channelsand  })assages, 
we  enter  the  straightest  of  them  all,  (rrenville  Channel, 
so  straight  that  it  almost  seems  to  have  been  mapped  by 
an  Indian.  As  you  steam  through  its  forty  or  fifty  miles 
of  mathematically  rectilinear  exactness  you  tliink  the 
slee]>y  pilot  might  tie  his  Avheel,  put  his  heels  up  in  tlie 
sjwkes,  draw  his  hat  over  his  eyes  and  tak?  a  quiet  nap. 
In  one  place  It  seems  to  be  not  over  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  wide,  but  probably  is  double  that,  the  high  tower- 
ing banks  giving  a  deceptive  imj^ression.  The  windnnvs 
through  the  timber  of  former  avalanches  of  snoworland- 
slicU's,  now  become  thicker  and  their  effects  occasionally 

4" 

pictui'esque  in  the  very  devastation  created.  Beyond 
<Ti'(Miville  Channel  the  next  important  stretch  of  salt 
watei-  is  Chatham  Sound,  which  is  less  like  a  river  than 
any  yet  named.  Its  connection  with  (Irenville  Channel 
is  by  the  usual  number  of  three  or  four  irregular  water- 
ways dodging  around  fair  sized  islands,  which  had  at 
one  time,  however,  a  certain  importance  because  it  was 
thought  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  might  make 
Skeena  Inlet  off  to  our  right  its  western  terminus. 


Till-:  ISLAM)  IWSSAaK  TO  ALASKA. 


23 


Oil  the  'it>tli  of  May,  vi'iy  «':ii'!y  in  the  m(»^niIl^^  wo 
crossed  Dixon  Kiitiaiu'c,  jiihI  were  oiu'*-  iiio-"  on  Ameri- 
can soil,  tiiat  is,  in  a  ('oinnicrcial  sense,  the  I'nited  Stales 
ha vini;' drawn  a,  ciieck  i'or  its  value  of  >i<7,2(M),0(»o,  and 
the  check  having  been  lionored  ;  hut  in  re<;ui'd  to  govern- 
ment the  country  may  be  called  no  man's  land,  none 
exist in.i;' in  the  territory.  Dixon  Entrance  bore  once  a 
Spanish  name  in  iionor  of  its  discoverer,  a  name  which 
is  heard  no  more,  althou;^h  a  few  still  call  the  channel 
by  its  Indian  name,  Kai^anee.  Inroad  Dixon  Kntram-e 
contiacts  into  the  narrow  Portland  Inlet,  which,  putting 
back  into  the  mainjand  for  some  seventy-live  miles,  forms 
the  water  boundary  between  Alaska  and  J^ritish  ('ol- 
umbia.  From  here  it  becomes  a  thirty  iuile  wide  strip 
drawn  *'i)arallel  to  tide-water,"  which  continues  with  a 
few   iioditications  to  about  Mount  St.  Elias. 

Tlie  foi'enoon  of  the  same  day  we  entered  Boca  de 
Quadia  Inlet,  where  a  ])ioneer  <'ompany  had  established 
a  salmon  canneiy,  i'oi'  which  we  had  some  freight.  The 
cannery  was  about  half  completed  and  the  stores  were 
lamled  on  a  raft  made  of  only  two  logs,  which  impressed 
me  Avith  the  size  of  the  Sitka  cedar.  The  largest  log 
was  probably  seventy-live  feet  long  and  fully  eight  feet 
at  the  butt.  It  is  said  to  be  impervious  to  the  teredo, 
which  makes  such  sad  havoc  with  all  other  kinds  of 
wood  sunk  in  • -lit  water.  Owing  to  its  tine  grain  and 
peculiar  odor,  handsome  chests  can  be  made  of  it  in 
whi(!h  that  universal  pest,  the  moth,  will  not  live.  It  is 
l)urely  an  Alaskan  tree,  and  even  north  of  Quadra  Inlet 
it  is  found  in  its  densest  growth.  As  around  all  white 
habitations  in  frontit  lands,  we  found  the  usual  number 
of  natives,  although   ii  this  case  they  were  here  for  the 


w 


)  >  j' 


1'  i 


it 


!! 


,* 


il 


I 


r  ^ 


I     1 


1=  i 

)'  f 

! 


24 


^1L6>A7/  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVKR. 


coiTimendable  object  of  seeking  eniploynient  in  catcliing 
salmon   wlienever  tlie   run    sliould    connnence.      'I'lieir 
canoes  ai'e  {U)nsti'U('ted  oi'  the  great  cedar  tree,  l)y  tlie 
usual  Indian  method  of  hollowing  them  out  to  a  thin 
shell  and  then  boiling  "water  in  them  by  thiowing  in  red 
hot  stones  in  the  water  they  hold,   i)i-odu('ing  i»liability 
of  the  wood  by  the  steaming  process,  when,  by  means  of 
braces  and  ties  they  aie  fashioned  into  nautical  "Jines." 
The  peaks  of  the  prows  are  often  fantastically  carved 
into  various  insignia,   usually  sjtoken  of  as  '*  totems," 
and   i)ainted  in  wild  barbaric  designs  (see  page  4;},)  the 
body  of  the  boat  being  covered  with  deep  black  made 
from  soot  and  seal  oil.     Crawlingalong  under  the  sond)er 
shadows  of  the  dense  overhanging  trees  in  the  deej)  dark 
l)assages,  these  canoes  can  hardl}'  be  seen  until  very  near, 
and  when  a  flash  of  the  water  from  the  paddle  reveals 
their  presence,  they  look  more  like  smugglers  or  i)irates 
avoiding  notice  than  any  thing  else.     The  genial  super- 
intendent,   Mr.    Ward,    sjjoke  of  his   lambles   \\\)    the 
picturesque  shores  of  the  inlet  and  his  adventures  since 
he  had  started  his  new  euteri)ris<'.     A  trij)  of  a  few  daj's 
before  up  one  of  the  diminutive  valleys  drained  l)y  a 
little  Alpine  brook,  had  rewarch^d  him  with  the  sight  of 
no  less  than  eight  benrs  skurrying  around  through  the 
woods.       lie    hiid    an    Indian     comjtanion     who    was 
armed  with  a  Hint-lock,  smooth  l)()re  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany musket,   wliile  the  superintendent  had  a  shot  gun 
for  any  small  game  that  might  ha])pen  along,  and  even 
with  these  arms  they  succeeded  in  bagging  a  bear  ai)iece, 
both  being  of  the  black — (U*  small — variety.     Hunting 
the  little  black  benr  is  not  f;ir  removed  from  a  good 
old-fashioned  "coon"  hunt,   and  not  much  more  dan- 


■y^^-  ■ 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


'l^heir 


I  ^-1111 
'Veil 

|0('e, 
fiiio- 

lan- 


geroiis.  The  dogs,  mostly  the  sharp-eared,  shaip-nosed 
and  sharp-barkijig  Indian  variety,  once  after  a  l)ear, 
force  him  up  a  tree  to  save  liis  Im  ?>vstrings  being  nipped 
uncomfortably,  and  then  he  is  shot  out  of  it,  at  the 
hunter's  leisure,  and  if  wounded  is  so  small  and  easily 
handled  by  the  pack  of  dogs  that  he  can  hardly  be 
called  dangerous.  Not  so,  however,  with  the  great  brown 
bear,  or  barren-ground  bear  of  Alaska,  so  often  spoken 
of  in  these  parts  as  the  "  grizzly "  from  his  similarity 
in  size  and  savageness  to  "the  California  King  of  the 
Chapparal."  Everywhere  in  his  dismal  dominions  he  is 
religiously  avoided  by  the  native  Nimrod,  who  declares 
that  his  meat  is  not  lit  to  be  eaten,  that  his  robe  is  almost 
worthless,  and  that  he  constantly  keeps  the  wrong  end 
presented  to  his  pursuers.  Although  he  is  never  hunted 
encounters  with  him  are  not  altogether  unknown,  as  he  is 
savage  enough  to  become  the  hunter  himself  at  times, 
and  over  some  routes  the  Indians  will  never  travel  unless 
armed  so  as  to  be  fairly  protected  from  this  big  Bruin. 
This  Indian  fear  of  the  great  brown  bear  I  found  to  l)e 
co-extensive  witli  all  my  travels  in  Alaska  and  the 
]?ritish  North-west  Territory.  Mr.  Waid  told  me  that 
wherever  the  big  bear  was  found,  the  little  black  variety 
made  his  presence  scarce,  as  the  two  in  no  way  affiliate, 
and  the  latter  occupies  such  countiy  as  the  abundance 
of  his  big  brother  will  allow.  These  districts  may  be 
intermixed  as  much  as  the  black  and  white  squares  on  a 
chess-board,  but  they  are  as  sharply,  though  not  as 
matliematically,  defined,  each  one  remaining  faithfully 
on  his  own  coloi',  so  to  speak.  A  new  repeating  rifie 
was  on  our  vessel  consigned  to  the  sportsman  supe)'- 
intendent.    and    h«'     expected    to    decrease     the     bear 


.11 

•i 


y.li 


M 


'•:i 


i'  v 


I 


!;  : 


'  i 


26 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


census  clUiiiig  the  siuunier,  so  far  as  his  duties  would 
allow. 

About  noon,  after  much  backing-  and  i)utting-  of  lines 
ashore,  and  worlvin*^  on  them  from  tlie  donkey  engines 
fore  and  aft,  we  succeeded  in  turning  our  long  steamer 
in  the  narrow  channel,  the  pilot  remarking  in  rei)ly  to 
the  captain's  incpuries  as  to  shoals,  that  he  wished  he 
couhl  exchange  the  deptli  for  the  width  and  he  wouhl 
have  no  trouble  in  turning  around. 

Through  this  part  of  the  inland  passage  sea-otters  Jiie 
said  to  be  found,  and  it  wa  ,  thought  that  one  or  two 
were  seen  by  some  of  the  peoi)le  on  board,  but  no  one 
could  vouch  for  the  discovery. 

The  everlasting  mountain  scenery  now  commences  to 
pall  and  offers  nothing  in  the  way  of  the  picturesque 
except  the  same  old  high  mountains,  the  same  dense 
growth  of  timber  on  their  steep  sides,  and  the  same  salt- 
water canals  cutting  through  them.  A  valley  putti  .g 
oflt"  any  where  wonld  have  been  a  relief,  and  breaks  in 
the  uniformly  high  mountains  that  looked  as  if  they 
might  be  ravines,  so  persistently  became  other  arms  and 
canals  of  the  great  networks  of  passage,  that  we  were 
any  thing  but  sorry  when  a  fog  bank  settled  down  about 
two  hundred  feet  above  our  eyec  and  cut  the  f  jtird  as 
sharply  at  that  height  as  if  it  had  been  the  crest  line  of 
a  fortification  extending  off  into  miles  of  bastions  and 
covered  wavs. 

Early  morning  on  the  Soth  found  ns  at  the  little  port 
of  Wrangell,   named  after  (me  of  llussia's  many  fam 
ous  explorers   in  northern  regions.       It  wjis  the  most 
tumble-down   looking  company  of   cabins  I  ever  saw, 
the    "  (JhiiiHsc    (puirter "     (every   i)lace   on    the  Pacific 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


27 


sult- 


n  ,o- 


ns 

of 

ind 


roast  lias  its  "Chinese  quarter"  if  It  is  only  a  single 
liouse)  being  a  wrecked  river  vessel  high  and  dry  on  the 
])ebl)ly  beach,  which,  however,  was  not  much  inferior  to 
the  rest  of  the  town.  K'ot  far  from  here  comes  in  the 
Stickeen  river,  the  lai-gest  stream  that  cuts  through  the 
south-eastern  or  "  tide-water  strip  "  of  Alaska.  About 
its  headwaters  are  the  Cassiar  mines  of  British 
Columbia,  and  as  the  Stickeen  river  is  the  nearest 
available  way  to  reach  them,  although  the  traveler's 
course  i  ^  against  the  stream  of  a  mountain  torrent,  the 
circumstance  has  made  something  of  a  port  of  Wran- 
gell,  which  nearly  ten  years  ago  was  at  the  height  of  its 
glory  of  gold-dust  and  excitement.  Even  at  this  dis- 
tance the  dark  green  water  of  the  deep  channel  is  tinged 
with  a  white  chalky  color  ground  from  the  Hanks  of  the 
calcareous  hills  by  the  eroding  glaciers,  then  swept  into 
the  swift  river  and  by  it  carried  far  out  into  the  tortuous 
l^assages.  Every  stream,  however  small,  in  this  i)art  of 
the  world,  with  glaciers  along  its  course  or  upon  its  trib- 
utaries, carries  this  milk-like  water  in  its  current. 

With  all  its  rickety  appearance  there  was  no  small 
amount  of  business  doing  in  Wrangell,  no  less  than  four 
or  live  fair  sized  backwoods  stores  being  there,  all  appar- 
ently in  thrifty  circumstances,  Indian  curiosities  of  all 
kinds  were  to  be  had,  from  carved  spoons  of  the  mount- 
ain goat  at  "two  bits"  (twenty-five  cents)  apiece  to  the 
most  elaborate  idols  or  totemic  carvings.  A  fair  market 
is  found  for  these  articles  among  the  few  visitors  who 
travel  in  this  out-of-the-wav  corner  of  Mie  earth,  and 
when  the  sui)ply  is  exhausted  in  any  line  the  natives 
will  immediately  set  to  work  to  satisfy  the  demand.  One 
huge  carved  horn  spoon  was  evidently  of  very  ancient 


ywm'mmmmgiam 


28 


AIA)Xa  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVEli. 


'     I 


1  'i 

h! 


iiKikc  Jiiul  very  liiu;  woiknuinship,  jin  old  pioneer  of  these 
re^-ioiis  who  li:i(l  owned  it  I'or  many  years  liaving  re I'liscd 
sixty  dollars  for  it  from  somti  curiosity  collectors  only 
the  yeai'  before. 

From  W'rini^ell  we  debouched  westward  ])y  Sumn(>r 
Strait,  the  wi(h'  salt-water  I'iver  that  continues  th(3  nar- 
]'ow  fresh-water  river  of  Stickeen  to  the  Pacilic  Ocean. 

n.'tweiMi  livt!  and  six  in  the  afternoon  we  ai'e  rounding' 
(-aj):'  ()mm:niey,  where  our  [)il()t  tells  us  it  stoi'ms  eight 
days  in  the  week.  It  certainly  gave  lis  dou))Ie J'ations  of 
wind  that  day,  and  many  retired  early.  Ev(!n  th«^  old 
Spanish  navigators  who  lirst  laid  eyes  nptm  it  must  have 
borne  it  a  grudge  to  have  called  it  Puiila  Oc.sle  di'  hi 
KiUnvhi  (li'l  Principe;  all  its  g(M)gra[)hical  character- 


di 


for 


ati(ins  being  shouldered  oi 

Early  next  morning  we  were  in  the  harbor  of  Sitka,  or 
Ni'W  Arcliangel,  as  the  Russians  called  it  when  they  had 
it  for  their  capital  of  this  province.  The  sti'ong,  bold 
bluffs  of  the  interior  passages  now  give  way  to  grntler 
elevations  along  the  Pacific  seaboard,  but  the  country 
gi'adually  rises  innw  the  coast  until  but  a  few  miles  l)ack 
the  same  old  cloud-capped,  snow-covered  peaks  recur, 
and  as  w(»  stand  well  out  to  sea  they  look  as  abrupt  as 
ever. 

Sitk;i  is  a  ])Iv'turesque  place  when  viewed  fi'om  any 
point  except  from  within  the  town  limits.  From  the 
south-west,  looking  noi'th-east,  Mount  Kdgecnmbe  (of 
Cook)  afl'oi'(ls  a  beautiful  background  against  the  west- 
ei'u  sky,  and  when  that  is  full  of  low  white  t'loiids  the 
abrupt  mnnner  in  which  the  ]»oint  of  the  mountain  is  cut 
off  gives  it  the  appearance  of  being  1)uried  in  the  clouds, 
thus  seeming  several  times  hiu'her  than  it  really  is. 


I 


he 


2 


a 
a. 


g 


7) 


> 


:,€)t.l 


I 

t-^:* 


THE  INLAND  PASSA(;E  TO  ALASKA. 


31 


The  harbor  of  Sitkii  is  so  full  of  sniiiU  islands  that 
looking  at  it  from  a  height  it  seems  as  if  it  could  only  be 
mapped  with  a  pepper-box,  and  one  wonders  how  any 
vessel  can  get  to  her  wharf.  Once  alongside,  the  watt^r 
seems  as  clear  as  the  atmosphere  above,  and  the  smallest 
objects  can  be  easily  i(U'ntiiied  at  the  bottom,  though 
there  must  have  been  fully  thirty  or  forty  feet  of  water 
where  we  made  our  observations. 

On  one  of  the  large  islands  in  Sitka  har))or,  called 
Jai^anese  Island,  an  old  Niphon  junk  was  cast,  early  in 
the  present  century,  and  her  small  crew  of- Japanese 
were  rescued  by  the  Russians.  Sitka  has  been  so  often 
described  that  it  is  nnnecessarv  to  do  more  than  refer 
the  reader  to  other  accounts  of  the  place. 

Ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  31st  saw  us  under 
way  steaming  northward,  still  keeping  to  the  inland 
passage,  and  en  route  to  deliver  wrecking  machinery  at 
a  point  in  Peril  Straits  where  the  JEureka,  a  small 
steamer  of  the  same  line  to  which  our  ship  belonged,  had 
formerly-  run  on  a  submerged  rock  in  the  channel,  which 
did  not  appear  upon  the  charts.  The  unfortunate  boat 
had  just  time  to  reach  the  shore  and  beach  hersslf  before 
she  filled  with  water.  The  Eureka's  wreck  was  reached 
by  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  as  our  boat  might  be  de- 
tained for  some  time  in  assisting  the  disabled  vessel, 
many  of  us  embraced  the  opportunity  to  go  ashore  in 
the  wilds  of  the  Alexander  Archipelago.  The  walking 
along  the  beach  between  high  and  low  tide  was  toler- 
able, and  even  agreeable  for  whole  stretches,  esi)ecially 
after  our  long  confinement  on  the  ship,  where  the  fa(dli- 
ties  for  promenading  w^ere  poor.  To  turn  inland  from 
the  shore  was  at  once  to  commence  the  ascent  of  a  slope 


mmm 


m 


89 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


':!! 


!i  ■ !! 


V      : 


that  mi^u:]it  vary  frciii  forty  to  eiglity  degrees,  the  climb- 
iiii!;  of  which  almost  beggars  description.  The  compact 
mass  of  evergreen  timber  had  k)oked  dense  enougli  from 
tile  ship,  but  at  its  feet  grew  a  denser  mass  of  tangled 
nndergrowtli  of  ))ushes  and  vines,  and  at  their  roots 
again  was  a  solid  carpeting  of  moss,  lichens,  and  ferns 
that  often  ran  up  the  trees  and  underbrush  for  heights 
greater  than  a  man's  reach,  and  all  of  it  moist  as  a 
sponge,  the  whole  being  absolutely  tropical  in  Inxnri- 
ance.  This  thick  carpet  of  moss  extends  from  the  shore 
line  to  the  edges  of  the  glaciers  on  the  mountain  snm- 
mits,  and  the  constant  melting  of  the  ice  throngh  the 
warm  summer  supplies  it  with  water  which  it  absorbs 
like  a  sponge.  The  air  is  saturated  with  moisture  from 
the  warm  ocean  current,  and  every  thing  you  see  and 
touch  is  like  Mr.  Mantalini's  proposed  body,  "dem'd 
moist  and  unpleasant."  It  is  almost  impossible  to  con- 
ceive how  heavily  laden  with  troi:)ical  moisture  the  atmos- 
phere is  in  this  supposed  sub-Arctic  colony  of  ours, 
It  oozes  up  around  your  feet  as  you  walk,  and  drips 
from  overhead  like  an  April  mist,  and  nothing  is  exempt 
from  it.  Even  the  Indians'  tall,  dead  "  totem-poles"  of 
hemlock  or  spruce,  which  would  make  fine  kindling 
wood  any  where  else,  bear  huge  clumi)s  of  dripping  moss 
and  foliage  on  their  tops,  at  heights  varying  from  ten 
to  thirty  feet  above  the  ground.  An  occasional  stray 
seed  of  a  Sitka  spruce  may  get  caught  in  this  elevated 
tangle,  and  make  its  home  there  just  as  well  as  if  it  were 
on  the  ground.  It  sprouts,  and  as  its  branches  run  up 
in  the  air,  the  roots  era wd down  the  "totem-pole"  until 
the  ground  is  reached,  when  they  bury  themselves  in  it, 
and  send  up  fresh  sustenance  to  the  trunk  and  limbs, 


^i:^.. 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


83 


^ere 


which  until  then  have  been  living  a  parasitic  sort  of  life 
oil  the  decayed  moss.  This  is  shown  in  illustration  on 
page  19,  being  a  view  at  Kaigan  Village,  Imagine  a 
city  boy  tossing  a  walnut  from  a  fourtii  stoiy  window, 
and  its  lodging  on  top  of  a  telegraph  pole,  there  si)rout- 
ing  next  spring,  and  in  the  course  of  a  coui)le  of  years 
extending  its  roots  down  the  pole,  insinuating  them- 
selves in  the  crevices  and  splitting  it  open,  tlien  i)ier('ing 
the  pavement ;  the  tree  continuing  to  grow  for  years 
until  the  boy,  as  a  nan,  can  reach  out  from  his  window 
and  pick  walnuts  every  fall,  and  the  idea  seems  in- 
credible ;  and  yet  the  equivalent  occurs  quite  often  in 
the  south-eastern  portions  of  our  distant  colony.  Nor 
is  all  this  marshy  softness  confined  to  the  levels  or  to 
almost  level  slopes,  as  one  would  imagine  from  one's  ex- 
perience at  home,  but  it  extends  up  the  steepest  places, 
where  the  climbing  would  be  hard  enough  Avithout  this 
added  obstacle.  In  precipitous  slopes  where  the  foot 
tears  out  a  great  swath  of  moist  moss,  it  may  reveal  un- 
derneath a  slippery  shingle  or  shale  where  nothing 
but  a  bird  could  find  a  footing  in  its  present 
condition.  There  is  wonderful  preservative  power  in  all 
these  conditions,  for  nothing  seens  to  rot  in  the  ground, 
and  the  accumulated  timber  of  ages,  standing  and  fallen, 
stumps,  limbs,  and  trunks,  "criss-cross  and  tumble- 
tangled,"  as  the  children  say,  forms  a  bewildering  mass 
which,  covered  anci  intertwined  as  it  is  with  a  compact 
entanglement  of  underbrush  and  moss,  makes  the  ascent 
of  the  steep  hillsides  a  formidable  undertaking.  A 
fallen  trunk  of  a  tree  is  only  indicated  by  a  ridge  of 
moss,  and  should  the  traveler  on  this  narrow  path 
deviate  a  little  too  far  to  the  right  or  left,  he  may  sink 


^■^ 


84 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


li 


!l      ;      I 


:    f) 


up  to  his  jinii-i)its  in  a  soft  mossy  trap  from  \vhi('h  hv 
can  scramble  as  best  lie  mny,  a(!cordin<,^  to  his  activity  in 
the  craft  of  "  backwoodsiniinship.'"  Having"  once  reached 
the  tops  of  the  lower  hills — the  higher  ones  are  covered 
with  snow  and  glacier  ice  the  year  round — a  few  small 
oi)enin<;smaybeseen,  which,  if  any  thinii',  are  more  bo<i\iry 
and  treacherous  to  the  feet  than  the  hillsides  themselves, 
higoon-like  morasses,  covered  with  pond  lilies  nnd 
aquatic  plant  life,  being  connected  by  a  network  of 
slu<i<^ish  canals  with  three  or  four  inches  of  amber 
colored  water  and  as  many  feet  of  soft  black  oozy  iiiud, 
with  here  !;nd  there  a  clumj)  of  willow  brake  or  "  pussy- 
tails  "  springing  above  the  Avaste  of  sedge  and  ilags. 
In  these  bayou  openings  a  hunter  may  now  and  then 
run  across  a  stray  deer,  bear,  or  mountain  goat,  but,  in 
general,  inland  liunting  in  south-eastern  Alaska  is  a 
complete  failure,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  game  and  the 
labor  of  hunting. 

The  worst  part  of  Peril  Strait  being  ahead  of  us, 
we  backed  out  with  our  long  unwieldy  vessel  and  turned 
westward,  passing  out  late  in  the  evening  through 
Salisbury  Strait  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  ours  being, 
according  to  the  pilot,  the  first  steam  vessel  to  essay 
the  passage.  A  last  night  on  the  Pacific's  rolling  water, 
and  early  next  morning  we  rounded  Cape  Ommaney, 
and  entered  the  inland  passage  of  Chatham  Strait, 
our  prow  once  more  pointed  northward,  the  slie*'t  of 
water  lying  as  quiet  as  a  mill  pond.  About  4  r.  ]\r.  we 
reached  Killisnoo,  a  pretty  little  port  in  the  Strait. 
Cod-fish  abounding  here  in  unusual  numbers,  a  regular 
fishery  has  been  established  by  a  company  for  the  ])ur- 
pose  of  catching  and  i)reserving  the  cod  for  the  markets 


iif|i,  li 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE  TO  ALASKA. 


88 


a 

the 


igli 


of  tlui  Paciiic  coast.  Here  I  saw  many  of  tlw  Kootziiiihoo 
Indians  of  tlu;  plaw,  avIio  do  the  principal  lisiiing-  for 
the  white  men.  'I'heir  already  u<,dy  faces  were  i)lastereil 
over  with  black,  for  which,  according  to  the  superintend- 
ent, there  were  two  causes.  A  few  of  the  Indians  were 
clad  in  mourning,  to  Avhich  this  artiilcial  blackness  is  an 
adjunct,  while  the  remainder  followed  the  custom  in 
order  to  protect  their  faces  and  especially  their  ej'es 
from  the  intense  glare  of  the  sun  on  the  waterwhile  lish- 
ing.  Chatham  Strait  at  its  nortliern  end  subdivides 
into  Icy  Straits  and  Lynn  Canal,  the  latter  being  taken 
as  our  course.  At  its  northern  end  it  again  bianclies 
into  the  Chilkat  and  Chilkoot  Inlets,  the  fornier  being 
taken ;  and  at  its  head,  the  highest  northing  we  can  reach 
in  this  great  inland  salt-water  river,  onr  voyage  on  the 
Victoria  terminated.  Icy  Straits  lead  off  to  the  west- 
ward and  imite  with  the  Pacific,  by  way  of  Cross  Sound, 
the  most  northern  of  these  connecting  passages,  which 
marks  the  point  where  the  archipelago,  and  with  it  the 
inland  passage,  ceases,  for  from  here  northward  to  St. 
Elias  and  beyond  a  bold  bad  coast  faces  the  stormy 
Pacific,  and  along  its  frowning  cliffs  of  rock  and  ice  even 
the  amphibious  Indian  seldom  ventures. 


its 


,1' 


t 


n 

1  i 


'\ 


^)iln 


CHAPTER  III. 


IN  THE  CIIILKAT  COUNTRY. 


IIILKAT  country  was  reached  on  tlie  morn- 
ing of  the  2(1  of  June  and  we  dropped  anchor 
in  a  most  picturesque  little  port  called  Pyra- 
mid Harbor,  its  name  being  derived  from  a 
conspicuous  conical  island  that  the  Chilkats 
call  Schlay-hotch,  and  the  few  whites,  Pyra- 
mid Island,  shown  on  page  43.  There  were 
two  salmon  canneries  just  completed,  one  on  each  side 


CIIII-KAT  lIUArK- 
LKT  MADK  KIIOM 
BILVEIt  L'UIN. 


of  the  inlet,  awaiting  the 


"run" 


or  coming  of  salmon, 


i 


which  occurred  about  two  weeks  later.  Each  cannery  was 
manned  by  about  a  half  dozen  white  men  as  directors 
and  workmen  in  the  trades  departments,  the  (Jhilkats 
doing  the  rougher  work,  as  well  as  furnishing  the  fish. 
They  differed  in  no  material  respect  from  the  salmon  can- 
neries of  the  great  Columbia  River,  so  often  described. 
Just  above  them  comes  in  the  Chilkat  river,  with  a  broad 
shallow  mouth,  which,  at  low  water  (sixteen  feet  below 
high  water)  looks  like  a  large  sand  ilat  foji  r;ing  part  of 
the  shores  of  the  harbor.  On  these  bars  the  Indians  spear 
the  salmon  when  the  water  is  just  deep  enough  to  allow 
them  to  wade  around  readily. 

Up  this  Chilkat  river  are  the  different  villages  of  the 
Chilkat  Indians,  one  of  fifteen  or  twenty  houses  being  in 
sight,  on  the  east  bank,  the  largest,  however,  which  con- 
tains four  or  five  times  as  many  houses,  called  Kluk-wan, 


IN  THE  CTULKAT  COVXTRY. 


37 


11 


boinf?  quite  a  distanro  up  tlw  rivrr.     These  Cliilkats  are 
.sul)divided  into  a  number  of  siualler  clans,  named  af ter 
the  various  ai  imals,  birds  and  lishes.    At  about  the  time 
of  my  arrival  tlie  eliief  of  tlie  Crow  clan  liad  died,  and  as 
he  was  a  very  important  i)erson,  a  most  sumptuous  fu- 
neral was  expected  to  last  about  a  week  or  ten  days. 
These  funerals  are  nothing  but  a  series  of  leasts,   i)r()- 
tracted  recording  to  the  importance  of  the  deceased,  and 
as  they  are  furnished  at  tlie  exi)ense  of  the  administra- 
tors or  executors  of  the  dead  man's  estate,  every  Indian 
from  far  and  wide,  full  of  veneration  for  the  dead  and  a 
desire  for  victuals   congregates  at  the  jileasant  ceremo- 
nies, and  gorges  to  his  utmost,  being  worthless  lor  work 
for  another  week  afterward.      As  I  urgently  needed  some 
three  or  four  score  of  these  Indians  to  carry  my  effects 
on  their  backs  across  the  Alaskan  coast  range  of  mount- 
ains to  the  head  waters  of  the  Yukon  river,  this  pro- 
longed funeral  threatened  seriously  to  prevent  my  getting 
away  in  good  time.     Ranking  me  as  a  chief,  I  was  invited 
to  the  obsequies  and  promised  a  very  conspicuous  posi- 
tion therein,  especially  on  the  last  day  when  the  body 
was  to    be  burned    on    a   huge  funeral  pyre  of  dry 
resinous  woods.     Cremation  is  the  usual  method  of  dis- 
posing of  the  dead  among  these  jieople,  the  priests  or 
medicine  men  being  the  only  ones  exempt.     The  latter 
claim  a  sort  of  infallibility  and  all  of  their  predictions, 
acts,  and  influences  capable  of  survival,  live  after  them 
so  long  as  their  bodies  exist,  but  should  these  be  lost  by 
drowning,   devouring,   or  cremation,    this    infallibility 
ceases.     Therefore  these  defunct  doctors  of  savage  witch- 
craft inhabit  the  greatest  portion  of  the  few  graveyards 
that  one  sees  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  shores  of 


'^1 


.ir>- 


38 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


i:t 


tile  rliannels  and  inlets  tliut  penetrate  the  country.  Cre 
mation  is  not  always  resorted  to,  however,  with  the  laity, 
for  whenever  convenience  dictates  otherwise,  they  too 
may  be  buried  in  boxes,  and  this  practice,  I  understand, 
is  becoming  more  common.  Cremation  is  a  savage  honor, 
nevertheless,  and  slaves  were  not  entitled  to  the  rite.  All 
the  Indians  were  extremely  anxious  that  I  should  attend 
the  obsequies  of  their  dear  departed  friend,  for  if  I  did 
they  saw  that  they  might  also  be  present  and  yet  feel 
sure  of  employment  on  my  expedition  over  the 
mountains.  I  declined  the  invitation,  however,  and 
by  being  a  little  bit  determined  managed  to 
persuade  enough  strong  sturdy  fellows  away  to  do  my 
proposed  packing  in  two  trips  over  the  pass,  wliich  had 
the  effect  of  inducing  the  others  to  come  forward  in  suf- 
ficient numbers  to  accomplish  the  work  in  a  single  jour- 
ney, and  preparations  were  commenced  accordingly. 
These  preparations  consisted  mostly  in  assorting  our 
effects  with  reference  to  every  thing  that  we  coukl 
possibly  leave  behind,  taking  as  little  as  we  could 
make  our  way  through  with,  and  putting  that  little  into 
convenient  bags,  boxes,  and  bundles  of  about  one  hund- 
red pounds  each,  that  being  the  maximum  load  the  In- 
dians could  well  carry  over  such  Alpine  trails.  Some 
boys,  eight  or  ten,  even  came  forward  to  solicit  a  share 
in  the  arduous  labor,  and  one  little  urchin  of  not  over 
fourteen,  a  son  of  the  Chilkat  chief,  Shot-rich,  manfully 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  a  sixty-eight  pound  box, 
the  distance  he  had  to  carry  it  being  about  thirty  miles, 
but  thirty  miles  equal  to  any  one  hundred  and  thirty  on 
the  good  roads  of  a  civilized  country.  There  were  a  few 
slaves  among  my  numerous    Indian  jDackers,   slavery 


.:  i: 


IN  THE  CHILKAT  COUNTRY 


39 


liaving  once  ilourislied  extensively  among  the  Cliilkats, 
but  liaving  diminished  both  in  vigor  and  extent,  in 
direct  ratio  to  their  contact  with  the  whites.  Formei'ly, 
slaves  were  treated  in  the  many  barbarous  ways  common 
to  savage  countries,  sacrificed  at  festivals  and  religious 
ceremonies,  and  kept  at  the  severest  tasks.  They  were 
often  tied  in  huge  leathern  sacks  stretched  at  full 
length  on  the  hard  stony  ground  and  ti'odden  to  death. 
The  murderers,  great  muscular  men,  would  jumj)  up  and 
down  on  their  bodies,  singing  a  wild  death  chant,  with 
their  fists  clinched  across  their  breasts,  every  cracking  of 
a  rib  or  bone  being  followed  by  loud  shouts  of  derisive 
laughter.  Sometimes  the  slave  was  bound  to  huge 
bowlders  at  the  water's  edge  at  low  tide,  and  as  the 
returning  waves  came  rolling  in  and  slowly  drowned 
the  wretch,  his  cries  were  deafened  by  tlie  hideous 
shouts  from  the  spectators  on  the  land.  Of  course,  as 
with  all  slave-holders,  an  eye  was  kept  open  toAvard 
mercenary  views,  and  the  sacrifices  were  nearly  always 
of  the  aged,  infirm,  or  decrepit ;  those  who  had  ceased 
to  l>e  useful  as  interpreted  by  their  own  savage  ideas 
of  usefulness.  Entering  a  Chilkat  house  nowadays,  one 
can  hardly  distinguish  a  slave  from  the  master,  unless 
one  is  acquainted  with  the  insignificant  variations  in 
dress  which  cliaracterize  them,  and  while  the  slaves  are 
supposed  to  do  all  the  work  the  enforcement  of  the  rule 
appears  to  be  very  lax.  Still  it  is  interesting  to  know 
that  the  fourteenth  amendment  to  the  United  States 
constitution  is  not  held  inviolable  in  all  parts  of  that 
vast  country.  As  among  nearly  all  savages,  the  women 
are  brutalized,  but  they  appear  to  have  one  prerogative 
of  the  most  singular  character,  that  is  Avell  worth  relat- 


,ll  /' 


'^-^ 


il! 


\ 


t ; 


li! 


40 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


ing. 


Nearly  e\ery  thing  descends  on  the  mother's  side, 
yet  a  chattel  may  be  owned,  or  at  least  controlled,  by  the 
men,  although  a  traveler  will  notice  many  bargains 
wherein  the  \ 'Oman's  consent  is  first  obtained.  The 
royal  succession  is  most  oddly  managed  with  reference 
to  women' s  rights.  The  heir-api)arent  to  the  throne  is 
not  the  oldest  or  any  other  child  of  the  king  and  queen, 
but  is  the  queen's  nearest  blood  relative  of  the  male  per- 
suasion, although  the  relationship  may  be  no  closei ,  per- 
haps, than  that  of  cousin.  As  this  curiously  chosen 
king  may  marry  any  woman  of  the  tribe,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  any  one  may  in  this  indirect  way  become  the  sov- 
ereign of  the  savages,  and  with  the  help  of  luck  alone, 
may  acquire  royal  honors.  One  rich  Indian  woman  of 
Sitka  who  took  a  fancy  to  a  slave,  purchased  hiui  for  the 
purpose  of  converting  him  into  a  husband,  at  a  cost  of 
nearly  a  thousand  dollars  in  goods  and  chattels,  and  if 
he  was  not  very  expensive  thereafter  he  may  have  been 
cheaper  than  the  usual  run  of  such  bargains.  When  a 
couple  of  Chilkats  tie  the  nuptial  knot,  they  at  once,  if 
possible,  adopt  a  boy  and  a  girl,  al  hough  these  can 
hardly  be  said  to  stnnd  in  the  i)lace  ot  adopted  children, 
when  it  is  understood  that  they  are  really  a  conjugal 
re  serve  corps  for  the  bride  and  bridegroom  in  case  of 
death.  Should  the  man  die  the  boy  becomes  the  widow's 
husband  without  further  ceremony,  and  mice  xersa.  Of 
course  such  conjugal  mixtures  present  the  most  incon- 
gruous aspects  in  the  matter  of  age,  but  happily  these 
examples  are  infrequent. 

This  Chilkat  country  is  most  thoroughly  Alpine  in 
character,  and  in  the  quiet,  still  evenings,  far  up  on  the 
steep  hillsides,  where  the  dense  si)ruce  timber  is  broken 


IN  THE  CHILKAT  COUNTRY. 


41 


up  by  natural  clearings,  one  could  often  see  a  brown  or 
black  bear  come  out  and  nose  around  to  get  at  some  of 
the  many  roots  and  berries  that  there  abound,  and  more 
than  once  I  was  a  spectator  of  a  bear  hunt,  for  as  soon 
as  Bruin  put  in  an  appearance  there  was  always  some 
Indian  hunter  ambitious  enough  to  toil  up  the  steep 
mountain  sides  after  him.  I  have  spoken  of  their 
extreme  fear  of  the  great  brown  or  cinnamon  bear,  which 
they  seldom  attack.  So  grcnt  indeed  is  the  Chilkats' 
respect  for  him  that  the  most  aristocratic  clan  is  called 
the  Cinnamon  Bears.  Another  high  class  clan  is  the 
Crows,  the  plebeian  divisions  being  the  Wolves  and 
Whales,  and  the  division  line  is  so  strong  that  it  leads 
to  feuds  between  the  clans  that,  in  respect  of  slaughter, 
are  almost  entitled  to  the  name  of  wars,  while  between 
the  high  and  low  caste  intermarriage  is  almost  unknown. 
As  the  Brown  Bears,  or  Cinnamon  Bears  as  they  are  gen- 
erally called,  are  the  highest  clan,  so  copper  is  their  most 
highly  prized  metal.  With  copper  the  Chilkats  have 
alwayj  been  familiar,  gold  and  silver  coming  with  the 
whites ;  and  therefore  a  brown  bear's  head  carved  in 
C(  pi>'  '  is  their  most  venerated  charm.  In  regard  to 
engia' v-;v  'nd  sculpture  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
the  Chilli  a LS  stand  well  in  the  front  rank  of  savage  artists. 
"When  civilization  first  came  in  contact  with  \;hese  people 
they  were  in  the  paleolithic  stone  age  of  that  material, 
and  their  carvings  were  marvels  of  design  and  execution, 
although  subserving  the  simplest  wants  of  a  simple 
people.  Of  metals  they  possessed  only  copper,  and  tliat 
in  ;5V'<'!i  "mall  quantities  as  to  be  practically  out  of 
the  ^tccount.  With  the  whites  came  gold  and  silver, 
and  the  latter  from  its  comparative  cheapness  became 


I; 


42 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


-■  ,\ 


III    I 

'ii    I 


3i. 


Ml'     i 


i 


.  v^ '  I 


^■■ 


I 


I   I 

I 


!    ! 


their  favorite  metal.  Coins  were  hammered  out  into 
lon.ii;  slender  bars,  bent  into  bracelets,  and  tlien  beau- 
tifully eui;"ra\'ed,  some  of  their  desii!;ns  having  been 
borrowed  from  civilization  and  copied  faithfully  in 
tletail,  although  the  old  savage;  ideas  of  workmanship 
ai'(;  for  obvious  reasons  i)referr<'d  by  most  purchasers. 
Some  of  their  women  wear  a  dozen  or  more  bracelets 
on  each  arm,  covering  them  n\)  to  the  elbows  and 
beyond,  but  this  seems  to  b'^  only  a  means  of  preserving 
them  until  the  arrival  ot   ',  customers,  when  they 

are  sold  at  from  one  to  h.  or  six  dollars  a  pair 
according  to  their  width.  The  initial  i)iece  of  this 
chapter  is  sketched  from  one  in  the  i)ossession  of  the 
author  and  made  by  one  of  his  hired  Indians.  Ear-rings, 
finger-rings,  beads  and  ornamental  combs  for  tlie  hair 
are  made  of  silver  and  gold,  mostly  of  silver  ;  and  the 
Chilkats  seem  to  be  as  imitative  in  respect  to  ideas 
and  designs  as  the  Mongolians,  whose  talents  are  so  much 
better  known.  It  is  in  wood  and  horn,  however,  that 
their  best  exam]des  of  this  art  have  been  displayed,  and 
so  unicpie  and  intricate  are  they  that  language  is  inade- 
([uatc!  to  describe  them.  Of  wood  carvings  their  "  totem  " 
])oles  show  the  cleverest  workmanshi})  and  variety  of 
design.  The  exact  significance  of  these  totem  jioles 
HMnaiiis  still  undetermined,  and  the  natives  themselves 
seem  averse  to  throwing  much  light  on  the  subject. 
This  fact  alone  would  appear  to  indicate  a  superstitious 
origin.  Some  say  the  totem  poles  represent  family 
genealogies,  life  histories,  and  tribal  accounts,  all  of 
which  cf)njectures  may  be  well  founded.  They  are 
simply  logs  of  wood  standing  on  end  in  front  of  the 
houses,  and  facing  the  water.     This  face  is  covered  from 


!        f 


IN  rni'j  i'UfLKAT  country 


\\\ 


top  to  bottom,  for  a  lieight  of  from  five  to  tliiity  feet, 
with  the  most  ciirioiis  carvings,  as  shown  to  a  limited 
extent  on  page  19.  Tlie  "totem"  or  tribal  symbol, 
Avhich  may  be  a  wolf,  a  bear,  a  iuven,  or  a  fish,  often 
predominates,  while  representations  of  crouching  liiiman 


^1 


'Ct. 


I, 


PYUAMll)    HARBOR,    CIIIT.KAT   INLET. 

(Chilkiit  I'.idiiin  Canoe  in  the  foreground.) 

figures  are  favorite  designs.  Tlie  making  of  totem  poles 
has  ceased  among  the  Indians,  although  they  carefully 
l)reserve  those  that  still  exist.  Still  many  of  them  fall 
into  the  clutches  of  white  men  in  compensation  for  a  few 
dollars,  and  hardly  a  museum  of  note  in  the    coun- 


\\f 


11. 


ilMHVKM. 


i? ''IP  ^1i 


44 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  rjVER. 


•I'IImI:. 


try  but  displays  a  Tlinkit  totem  pole  or  two,  while  some 
I)ossess  extensive  collections.  The  best  carving  is  shown 
in  the  isolated  poles  standing  in  front  of  the  houses,  but 
frequently  the  houses  themselves  are  fantastically  carved 
in  conspicuous  places  to  suit  the  owner's  fancy. 

Some  of  these  houses  are  quite  respectable  for  savage 
housemaking,  the  great  thick  puncheon  planks  of  the 
floor  being  often  quite  well  polished,  or  at  any  rate 
neatly  covered  with  white  sand.  Attempts  at  civilization 
are  made  in  the  larger  and  more  aristocratic  abodes  by 
partitioning  the  huge  hovel  into  rooms  by  means  of  dra- 
X)eries  of  cloth  or  canvas.  In  some  the  door  is  made  as 
high  as  it  can  be  cut  in  the  wall  and  is  reached  by 
steals  from  the  outside,  while  a  similar  flight  inside  gives 
access  to  the  floor.  The  fire  occupies  the  center  of  the 
rooM,  enough  of  the  floor  being  removed  to  allow  it  to 
be  kindled  directly  on  the  ground,  the  smoke  escaping 
by  a  huge  hole  in  the  roof.  The  vast  majority  of  the 
houses  are  squalid  beyond  measure,  and  the  dense  resin- 
ous smoke  of  the  spruce  and  pine  blackens  the  walls  with 
a  funereal  tinge,  and  fills  the  house  with  an  odor  wJiich, 
when  mingled  with  that  of  decayed  salmon,  makes  one 
feel  like  leaving  his  card  at  the  door  and  passing  on.  It 
takes  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  conceive  that  such 
architecture  provides  the  maximum  of  ventilation  when 
least  needed,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  the  winter  hours  of 
the  Chilkats  are  cold  and  cheerless  in  the  extreme.  They 
sit  crouched  around  the  fire  with  their  blankets  closely 
folded  about  them  and  even  drawn  over  their  heads, 
the  house  serving  indeed  as  a  protection  from  the 
fierce  wind  and  deep  snow  drifts,  but  no  more. 
They    look    on    all   this   foolishness,    however,    with 


i 


IN  THE  CHILKAT  COUNTRY. 


46 


1 


a  sort  of  Spartiin  fortitude  as  necessary  to  toughen 
them  and  inure  them  to  the  rough  climate,  and  at  times, 
impelled  by  this  belief,  they  \vill  deliberately  expose 
themselves  with  that  object  in  view.  AVlien  the  rivers 
and  lakes  are  frozen  over  the  men  and  boys  break  great 
holes  in  the  ice  and  plunge  in  for  a  limited  swim,  then 
come  out,  am^  if  a  bank  of  soft  snow  is  convenient  roll 
around  in  it  like  so  many  polar  bears  ;  and  when  they 
get  so  cold  that  they  can't  tell  the  truth  they  wander 
leisurely  back  to  the  houses  and  remark  that  they  have 
had  a  nice  time,  and  believe  they  have  done  something 
toward  making  themselves  robust  Chilkat  citizens  able 
to  endure  every  thing.  There  is  no  wonder  that  such 
people  adopt  cremation  ;  and  in  fact  one  interpretation 
of  its  religious  signilicance  is  based  on  the  idea  of  future 
personal  warmth  in  the  happy  hunting  grounds,  which 
they  regard  as  a  large  island,  whose  shores  are  unattain- 
able except  by  those  whose  bodies  have  been  duly  con- 
sumed by  lire.  Unless  the  rite  of  cremation  has  been 
performed  the  unhappy  shade  shivers  perpetually  in 
outer  frost.  It  is  the  impossibility  of  cremation  which 
makes  death  by  drowning  so  terrible  to  a  Chilkat. 

The  reason  that  the  shamans.,  or  medicine  men  (whose 
bodies  are  not  cremated)  have  no  such  dread,  is  that  their 
souls  do  not  pvTss  to  the  celestial  island,  but  are  trans- 
lated into  the  bodies  of  infants,  and  in  this  way  the  crop 
of  medicine  men  never  diminishes,  whatever  may  be  the 
status  of  the  rest  of  the  j)opulation.  Dreams  and 
divinations,  or  various  marks  of  the  child's  hair  or  face, 
are  relied  upon  to  determine  into  which  infant  the 
supreme  and  mysterious  power  of  the  defunct  doctor  of 
Tlinkit  divinity  has  entered.     To  enumerate  all  of  these 


46 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  ORE  AT  RIVER. 


w\ 


;; 


•,:i 


il 


li 


sii^ns  would  consume  more  of  my  space  tluin  the  subject 
is  worth.  When  a  Chilkat  dies  the  body  is  burned  at 
sunrise,  luivin^  lirst  been  dressed  for  tlie  ceremony  in  a 
costume  more  eJaborate  than  any  whicli  it  ever  wore  in 
life.  The  corpse  must  not  be  carried  out  at  the  door, 
which  is  deemed  sacred,  a  superstition  very  common 
among  savage  races.  A  few  boards  may  be  taken  from 
the  rear  or  side  of  the  hovel,  or  the  body  may  be  hoisted 
through  the  capacious  chimney  in  the  roof  ;  but  when  the 
Chilkat  in  his  last  illness  sought  his  liouse  to  lie  down 
and  die  in  it  he  passed  over  its  threshold  for  the  last 
time.  Demons  and  dark  spirits  hover  around  like  vul- 
tures, and  are  only  kept  out  of  doors  by  the  dreaded 
incantations  of  the  medicine  men,  and  these  may  seize 
the  corpse  as  it  passes  out.  So  fiendishly  eager  are  they 
to  secure  and  stab  their  prey  that  all  that  is  needed  is  to 
lead  out  a  dog  from  the  house,  which  has  been  brought 
into  it  at  night,  when  the  witches  fall  upon  it  and  exhaust 
their  strength  in  attacking  it  before  they  discover  their 
mistake.  The  cremation  is  seldom  perfect,  and  the 
charred  bones  and  remnants  are  collected  and  put  into  a 
small  box  standing  on  four  posts  in  the  nearest  graveyard. 
In  the  burial  of  medicine  men,  or  before  cremation  with 
others,  the  bodies  are  bent  into  half  their  length,  the 
knees  drawn  up  to  the  breast  and  secured  by  thongs  and 
lashings. 

A  walk  into  the  woods  around  Chilkat  shows  the 
traveling  to  be  somewhat  better  than  in  equally  mount- 
ainous country  near  the  coast,  and  where  paths  had  been 
cut  through  the  dense  timber  to  the  charcoal  pits  formed 
and  maintained  by  the  canneries,  the  walking  was  ex- 
ceedingly agreeable  and  pleasant,  especially  by  way  of 


IN  THE  CniLKAT  COUNTRY. 


47 


bhe 
it- 

feen 
ed 

^x- 
of 


contrast.  As  one  recedes  from  the  coast  and  gets  beyond 
the  intliience  of  the  warm  .Fapanese  ciiri'ent  with  its 
ceaseless  fogs,  rains  and  i)re('ipitation  generally,  the 
woods  and  marshes  become  more  and  more  susceptible 
of  ti'avcl,  and  by  the  time  the  Alaska  coast  range  of 
mountains  is  crossed  and  the  interior  reached,  one  iinds 
it  but  little  worse  tlian  the  tangle- woods  and  s\vami»s  of 
h)\vci'  latitudes.  The  waters  swarm  with  life,  which  is 
waruKMl  by  this  heat-bearing  current,  and  I  think  I  do 
not  exaggerate  in  saying  that  Alaska  and  its  numerous 
outlying  islands  will  ahme,  in  tho  course  of  a  short  time, 
repay  us  annually  more  than  the  original  cost  of  tlie  great 
territory.  By  means  of  these  industries  the  wedge  has 
begun  to  enter,  and  we  may  hope  it  will  be  driven  home 
by  means  of  a  wise  administration  of  government,  a 
boon  which  has  been  denied  to  Alaska  since  the 
Russians  left  the  territory. 

The  principal  fisheries  will  always  be  those  of  salmon 
and  cod,  since  these  lish  are  most  readily  prepared  for 
export,  while  halibut,  Arctic  smelt  or  candle-fish,  brook 
trout,  flounders  and  other  species  will  give  ample  variety 
for  local  use.  The  salmon  has  long  been  the  stai^le  iish 
food  of  the  Chilkats,  but  this  is  slowly  giving  way  to 
the  products  of  civilization  which  they  acquire  in  return 
for  services  at  the  canneries  and  for  loading  and  unload- 
ing the  vessels  which  visit  the  port.  The  salmon  season 
is  ushered  in  with  considerable  ceremony  by  the  Chil- 
kats, numerous  festivals  mark  its  success  and  its  close  is 
celebrated  by  other  feasts.  A  Chilkat  village  during  the 
salmon  fishing  season  is  a  busy  place.  Near  the  water, 
loaded  with  the  fish,  their  pink  sides  cut  open  ready  for 
drying,  are  the  scaffoldings,  which  are  built  just  high 


48 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


<>ii 


% 


if:; 


■!  n\ 


enough  to  i)revent  the  dogs  from  investigating  too 
closely  ;  while  out  in  the  shallow  water  of  the  shoals  or 
rapids,  which  often  determine  the  site  of  a  village,  may 
be  seen  iish-weirs  looking  like  stranded  baskets  that  had 
served  their  purpose  elsewhere  and  been  thrown  away  up 
the  stream,  and  which  had  lodged  here  as  they  floated 
down.  Many  oC  the  salmon  are  converted  into  lish-oil, 
which  is  used  by  the  Chilkats  as  food,  and  resembles  a 
cross  between  our  butter  and  the  blubber  of  the  Eskimo. 
Taking  a  canoe  that  is  worn  out,  yet  not  so  badly  djim- 
aged  as  not  to  be  completely  water-tight,  it  is  tilled  some 
six  to  eight  inches  deep  with  salmon,  over  which  water  is 
poured  until  the  fish  are  well  covered.  This  being  done 
on  the  beach  there  are  always  plenty  of  stones  around, 
and  a  number  of  these  are  heated  to  as  high  a  tempera- 
ture as  possible  in  an  open  fire  alongside  of  the  canoe, 
and  are  then  rapidly  thrown  into  the  water,  bringing 
it  to  a  boiling  heat,  and  cooking  the  mass.  As  the  oil 
of  the  fat  fish  rises  to  the  surface  it  is  skimmed  off  with 
si)oons,  and  after  all  has  been  procured  that  it  is  posisible 
to  obtain  by  this  means,  the  gelatinous  mass  is  pressed  so 
as  to  get  whatever  remains,  and  all  is  preserved  for  win- 
ter food.  The  salmon  to  be  dried  are  split  open  along  the 
back  until  they  are  as  flat  as  possible,  and  then  the  flesh 
is  split  to  the  skin  in  horizontal  and  vertical  slices  about 
an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  apart,  which  facilitates  the 
drying  process.  Each  little  square  contracts  in  drying 
and  makes  a  convenient  mouthful  for  them  as  they 
scrape  it  from  the  skin  with  their  upper  canine  teeth  like 
a  beaver  peeling  the  bark  from  a  cottonwood  tree.  In 
packing  over  the  Alaska  coast  range  of  mountains,  a  task 
which  keeps  the  Indians  absent  from  three  to  five  days. 


? 


IN  THE  CHILKAT  COUNTRY. 


49 


a  single  salmon  and  a  quart  of  Hour  are  considered  a  siif- 
ht'ient  ration  per  man  for  even  that  severe  trip.  If  they 
are  worl<.ing  for  white  men  the  emi)loyers  are  supposed 
to  furnish  the  flour  and  the  Indians  the  lish.  While 
these  Tlinkits  of  south-eastern  Alaska,  of  which  the 
Chilkats  and  Chilkoots  are  the  most  dreaded  and  war- 
like band,  are  a  most  jolly,  mirth-making,  and  often- 
times even  hilarious  crowd  of  people,  yet  any  thing  like 
a  practical  joke  played  upon  one  of  them  is  seldom 
appreciated  by  the  recipient  with  the  sheepish  satisfac- 
tion so  common  to  civilization.  An  army  officer,  Lieut. 
C.  E.  S.  AVood,  who  spent  some  time  among  them 
sketching  an-  drawing  something  besides  his  pay,  relates 
in  the  Century  Magazine  the  story  of  an  Indian  who 
laboriously  crawled  up  on  a  band  of  decoy  ducks  that 
somebody  had  allowed  to  remain  anchored  out  near  the 
water's  edge,  and  wasted  several  rounds  of  ammunition 
on  them  before  he  discovered  his  mistake.  Instead  of 
sneaking  back  into  the  brush,  dodging  through  out-of- 
the-way  by-paths  to  his  home,  and  maintaining  a  con- 
spicuous silence  thereafter,  as  we  of  a  more  civilized 
country  would  have  done  under  like  circumstances,  he 
sought  out  the  owner  of  the  decoys  and  demanded  direct 
and  indirect  damages  for  the  injuries  he  had  suffered  an  rl 
the  ammunition  he  had  wasted,  and  was  met  by  laughter, 
which  only  increased  his  persistency  until  his  demands 
were  satisfied  to  get  rid  of  him. 

At  one  of  the  two  salmon  canneries  of  which  I  have 
spoken  as  being  in  Chilkat  Inlet,  there  was  also  kept  a 
trading  store,  and  here  the  Indians  would  bring  their 
furs  and  peltries  and  barter  for  the  articles  that  were  so 
temptingly  displayed  before  their  eyes  ;  and  if  the  skins 


60 


ALONa  ALASKA'S  GRKAT  RIVF.R, 


'f 

'i 

i 

1 

'    *f' 

1 

1 

Ijfli!     ; 


N 


I   I" 


w<M'(»  nimuToiis  and  valiiabhi  this  lia^'^liii^'  would  often 
continue  for  houis,  as  th«^  Indian  nrvcr  counts  time  as 
worth  any  thln.n'  in  his  l)argains.  Wiiilc  w«'  were  tlioi*^ 
un  Indian  IJioiiL-ht  in  a  few  bhick  fox  skins  to  barter  for 
ti'adin^' material,  a  i)i'iine  skin  of  this  kind  bein^'  worth 
about  forty  (h)nars  in  ^oods  fi-oin  the  store,  and  ^radin*;' 
from  that  down  to  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  amount.  At 
tlio  time  when  the  (Jhilkats  l(,'ai'ned  the  great  valuta  of 
the  black  fox  skins,  not  many  years  back,  they  also 
learned,  in  some  nnaccountabhi  way,  the  method  ol*  mak- 
ing them  to  order  by  staining  tlie  common  red  fox  or 
(!ross  fox  skin  by  the  application  of  some  native  form  of 
blacking,  i)robably  made  from  soot  or  charcoal.  Many 
such  were  disposed  of  before  the  counterfeit  was 
detected,  and  even  after  tlie  cheat  was  well  known  the 
utmost  vigilance  was  needed  to  prevent  natives  playing 
the  trick  in  times  of  great  business  activity.  The 
method  of  detection  was  simply  to  place  the  skin 
on  any  hard  Hat  surface  like  the  counter  of  a  trader's 
store,  and  rub  the  clean  hand  vigorously  and  with 
considerable  pressure  backward  and  forward  over 
the  fur  side  of  the  skin,  when,  if  the  skin  were 
dyed,  the  fact  would  be  shown  by  the  blackened  hand. 
This  fact  had  been  explained  to  us  by  the  tradei',  and  the 
Doctor  entering  just  as  the  conversation  as  to  the  price 
became  animated,  and  i)erceiving  that  the  palmar  sur- 
face of  his  hand  was  well  soiled  and  blackened,  owing 
to  his  having  been  engaged  assorting  pac^ks  for  our 
Indians,  he  playfully  stepped  up  to  the  counter,  ran  his 
hand  jauntily  through  the  skin  once  or  twice  and  dis- 
played to  the  two  traders  his  blackened  palm,  to  the 
suri^rise  of  the  white  man  and  absolute  consternation 


re 


ir 

IS 

[e 
In 


IN  THE  CHTLKAT  COVXTRY 


61 


of  the  Iiidiiin.  The  former  rapidly  but  unavailin^xly 
tried  to  verify  IIm'  Jhx'tor's  ex[)erinieiit,  ulicii  tiie 
latter  brok(^  out  into  a,  liearty  lau^li,  in  wliicli  the 
trader  joined.  Not  so  with  tlie  iidian ;  wlien  he 
recovered  his  senses  he  was  fiii'ious  at  tht^  imputation  on 
liis  character  ;  ami  tiie  best  liglit  ht?  could  view  it  in, 
after  all  th<^  exi)laniitions,  was  that  it  had  been  a  con- 
spiracy between  the  two  white  men  to  get  the  skiu  at 
low  rates,  and  the  plot  having  failed,  according  to  their 
own  confession,  and  he  himself  having  re(!eived  his  own 
price  to  quiet  him,  ought  to  be  satisfied.  The  J)()ctor 
remarked  as  helinished  the  story,  that  lu'  did  not  believe 
there  was  the  remotest  sense  of  humor  at  long  the  whole 
band  of  Chilkat  or  Chilkoot  Indians.  The  ccmstant  life 
of  the  Tlinkits  in  their  canoes  when  procuring  food  or 
at  other  occupations  on  the  water  has  produced,  in  con- 
formity with  the  doctrine!  of  natural  selection  and  the 
survival  of  the  fittest,  a  most  conspicuous  prepondera- 
ting development  of  the  chest  and  upper  limbs  over  the 
lower,  and  their  gait  on  land,  resembling  that  of  aquatic 
birds,  is  scarcely  the  poetry  of  motion  as  we  understand 
it.  The  Chilkats,  however,  are  not  so  confined  to  a  sea- 
faring life,  and  their  long  arduous  trading  Journeys  in- 
land have  assisted  to  nuike  this  physical  characteristic 
miudi  less  conspicuous  among  them  than  among  other 
tribes  of  Tlinkits,  although  even  the  Chilkats  can  not  be 
called  a  race  of  large  men.  While  they  may  not  com- 
pare with  the  Sioux  or  Cheyennes,  or  a  few  others  that 
might  be  mentioned,  yet  there  are  scores  of  Indian  tribes 
in  the  United  States  proper  which  are  greatly  inferior  to 
the  Chilkats  both  in  mental,  i)hysical,  and  moral  quali- 
ties.   In  warfare  they  are  as  brave  as  the  average  Indians 


; 


S2 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


!i 


^^' 


if:  i 


1       V 


of  the  United  States,  and  liave  managed  to  conduct  their 
own  affairs  with  considerable  order,  in  spite  of  govern- 
mental interference  at  times  I  quote  from  a  corresj)on- 
dent  writing  from  there  as  late  as  August,  1884,  to  the 
JVew  YorJc  Times  of  November  23d  :  "The  Indians  have 
a  gvc:,:ii  respect  for  a  man-of-war,  with  its  strict  discipline 
and  busy  steam  launches  that  can  follow  their  canoes  to 
the  remote  creeks  and  hiding  places  in  the  islands,  and 
naval  rule  has  been  most  praiseworthy.  The  army  did 
no  good  for  the  country  or  the  natives,  and  its  record  is 
not  a  creditable  one.  The  Tlinkits  sneered  openly  at  the 
land  forces,  and  snapped  their  fingers  at  challenging 
and  forbidding  sentries,  and  paddled  away  at  their 
pleasure." 


i 


% 

II 

I  1  'h 

■  i 

1 

1 

I'k 

<^ 

g!  'i 

v>Vf 

'■'.(■• 

^■M 

'is 


i.i. 


-  \. 


I 


CHAPTER  IV. 


OVER  THE  jIOTTNTAIN  PASS. 


li 


I;! 


Y  the  6tli  of  June  all  of  our 
many  arrangements  for  depart- 
ure were  fully  completed,  and 
the  next  day  the  party  got 
under  way  shortly  before  10 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  Mi'. 
Carl  Spulin,  the  Manager  of 
the  North-west  Trading  Coni- 
j)any.  which  owned  the  west- 
ern cannery  in  the  Chilkat 
CIIII.KAT  INDIAN  PACKER.  I^let,  where  my  party  had 
been  disembarked,  who  had  been  indefatigable  in  his 
<  flPorts  to  assist  me  in  procuring  Indian  packers,  and  in 
many  other  ways  aiding  the  expedition,  now  placed  at 
my  disposal  the  little  st'^am  launch  of  the  company,  and 
behind  it,  tied  one  to  the  other  by  their  towing  ropes, 
was  a  long  string  of  from  t  velve  to  twenty  canoes,  each 
containing  from  two  to  four  Chilkat  Indians,  our  pros- 
pective packers.  Some  of  the  Indians  who  had  selected 
their  packs  carried  them  in  the  canoes,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  material  was  on  the  docks  of  the  steam-launcli 
"Louise."  They  disappeared  out  of  sight  in  a.  little 
while,  steaming  southward  down  the  Chilkat  Inlet, 
while  with  a  small  party  in  a  row-boat  I  crossed  this 


54 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


{  y 


<  1 


I 


oliannel  and  then  by  a  good  trail  walked  over  to  the 
Haines  Mission,  in  Cliilkoot  Inlet,  presided  over  by  Mr. 
Eugene  S.  AVillard  and  liis  wife,  with  a  young  lady 
assistant,  Miss  Mathews,  and  maintained  by  the  Pres- 
byterian Board  of  Missions  as  a  station  among  the  Chil- 
kat  and  Cliilkoot  Indians.  Crossing  the  "mission  trail," 
as  it  was  called,  we  often  traversed  lanes  in  the  grass,  which 
here  was  fully  five  feet  high,  while,  in  whatever  direction 
the  eye  might  look,  wild  Howers  w  ere  growing  in  the  great- 
est profusion.  Dandelions  as  big  as  asters,  buttercups 
twi(;e  the  usual  size,  and  violets  rivaling  the  products 
of  cultivation  in  lower  latitudes  were  visible  around. 
It  produced  a  singular  and  striking  contrast  to  raise  the 
eyes  from  this  almost  tropical  luxuriance  and  allow 
them  to  rest  on  the  Alpine  hills,  covered,  half  way  down 
their  shaggy  sides,  with  snow  and  glacier  ice,  and  Avith 
cold  mist  condensed  on  their  crowns.  Mosquitoes  were 
too  i)lentiful  not  to  be  called  a  pi'ominent  discomfort, 
and  small  gnats  did  much  to  mar  the  otherwise  pleasant 
stroll.  Berries  and  berry  blossoms  grew  in  a  profusion 
and  variety  which  I  have  never  seen  equaled  within 
the  same  limits  in  lower  lat'iudes.  A  gigantic  nettle 
was  met  with  in  uncomfortable  profusion  when  one 
attempted  to  wander  from  the  beaten  trail.  This 
nettle  has  received  the  ajipropriate  name  of  "devil- 
sticks;"  and  Mr.  Spuhn  of  the  party  told  me  it  was 
formerly  used  by  the  Indian  medicine-men  as  a  prophy- 
lactic against  witch-craft,  applied  externally,  and  with 
a  vigor  that  woidd  have  done  credit  to  the  days  of  old 
Salem,  a  custom  which  is  still  kept  up  among  these 
Indians.  Gardens  have  been  cultivated  upon  this  nar- 
row peninsula,  the  only  comparatively  level  track  of 


;-  1 


MO^^^ituaewegtaMVoin.  Gi'eemvicK.  IM 


'  -i'!"  :"-..'■.  "^"^mim 


I    1/ 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


67 


considerable  size  in  all  south-eastern  Alaska,  with  a  suc- 
cess which  speaks  ^vell  for  this  part  of  the  territory  as 
far  as  climate  and  soil  are  concerned,  although  the  ter- 
ribly rough  mountainous  character  of  nearly  all  of  this 
part  of  the  country  will  never  admit  of  any  broad  exper- 
iments in  agriculture.  By  strolling  leisurely  along  and 
stopping  long  enough  to  lunch  under  the  great  cedar 
trees,  while  the  mosquitoes  lunched  off  us,  we  arrived  at 
the  mission  on  Chilkoot  Inlet  just  in  time  to  see  the 
little  launch  in  tlie  distance  followed  by  its  long  proces- 
sion of  canoes,  heading  for  us  and  puffing  away  as  if  it 
were  towing  the  Great  Eastern.  It  had  gone  down  the 
Chilkat  Inlet  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  the  southward, 
turned  around  the  sharp  cape  of  the  peninsula.  Point 
Seduction,  and  traveler .  back  northward,  parallel  to  its 
old  course,  some  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  to  where  we  were 
waiting  for  it,  having  steamed  about  twenty-five  miles, 
while  we  had  come  one-fifth  the  distance  to  the  same 
point.  Here  quite  a  number  of  Chilkoot  natives  and 
canoes  were  added  to  the  already  large  throng  ;  Mrs. 
Schwatka,  who  had  accompanied  me  thus  far,  was  left  in 
the  kind  care  of  the  missionary  family  of  Mr.  Willard  ; 
adieus  w^ere  waved  and  we  once  more  took  our  north- 
ward course  up  the  Chilkoot  Inlet. 

After  four  or  five  miles  the  main  inlet  bears  off  to  the 
westward,  but  a  much  narrower  one  still  points  con- 
stantly to  the  north  star,  and  up  the  Matter  we  continued 
to  steam.  It  is  called  the  Dayay  Inlet  and  gives  us 
about  ten  miles  of  "  straight-away  course  "  before  coming 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same  name.  This  Dayay 
Inlet  is  of  the  same  general  character  as  the  inland  pas- 
sages in  this  part  of  Alaska,  of  which  I  have  already 


^^ 


S^SilllM 


tt'B  .5" 


lii'ii 


68 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


spoken ;  a  river-like  channel  between  high  steep  hills, 
which  are  covered,  with  pine,  cedar  and  spruce  from  the 
water's  line  nearly  to  the  top,  and  there  cajiped  with 
bare  granite  crowns  that  in  gulches  and  on  the  summits 
are  covered,  with  snow  and  glacier  ice,  which  in  melting 
furnish  water  for  innumerabi'  ■  beautiful  cascades  and 
mountain  torrents,  many  of  them  dashing  from  such 
dizzy  precij)itous  heights  that  they  are  reduced  to 
masses  of  iridescent  spray  by  the  time  they  reach  the 
deep  green  waters  of  the  inlet. 

With  a  score  of  canoes  toAving  behind,  the  ropes  near 
the  launch  kept  parting  so  often  that  we  were  consider- 
ably delayed,  and  as  the  Indians  were  seldom  in  any 
great  hurry  about  repairing  the  damages,  and  treated  it 
in  a  most  hilarious  manner  as  something  of  a  joke  on 
the  launch,  the  master  of  that  craft,  when  the  rope  had 
parted  near  the  central  canoe  for  about  the  twentieth 
time,  finally  bore  on  without  them,  leaving  the  delin- 
quents to  get  along  as  best  they  could,  there  being  about 
five  miles  more  to  make.  Fortunately  just  then  a  fair 
southern  breeze  sprang  up,  so  that  most  of  the  tardy 
canoes  soon  displayed  canvas,  and  those  that  could  not, 
hastily  improvised  a  blanket,  a  pea-jacket,  or  even  a 
a  broad-shouldered  pair  of  pantaloons,  to  aid  their  prog- 
ress, for  the  Indian  in  all  sections  of  the  country  is 
much  more  ingenious  than  one  is  apt  to  suppose,  espe- 
cially if  his  object  be  to  save  manual  labor.  The  mouth 
of  the  Dayay  river  being  reached  about  six  in  the  after- 
noon, it  was  found  to  consist  of  a  series  of  low  swampy 
mud  flats  and  a  very  miry  delta.  Here  it  is  necessary 
to  ascend  the  swift  river  at  least  a  mile  to  find  a  site 
that  is  even  half  suitable  for  a  camp.    During  the  time 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


59 


when  tlie  greatest  sediment  is  bi'ouglit  down  by  the  swift 
muddy  stream,  /.  e.,  timing  the  spring  freshets  and  sum- 
mer high  water,  the  winds  are  usually  from  the  south, 
and  blow  with  considerable  force,  which  fact  accounts 
for  the  presence  of  soft  oozy  deposits  of  great  extent  so 
near  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  Through  this  shallow 
water  the  canoes  carried  our  effects.  The  river  once 
reached  the  canoes  pro(;eeded  up  the  stream  to  camp,  the 
launch  whistled  us  adieu,  and  as  she  faded  from  sight, 
the  last  link  that  bound  us  to  civilization  was  snapped, 
and  our  explorations  commenced.  The  distance  from 
the  Haines'  Mission  to  the  mouth  of  the  Day  ay  where  we 
disembarked  was  sixteen  miles. 

At  this  camp  No.  2,  we  found  a  small  camp  of  wander- 
ing Tahk-lieesli  Indians,  or  as  they  are  locally  called  by 
the  few  whites  of  the  country,  the  Sticks,  a  peaceful 
tribe  whose  home  is  over  the  Alaskan  coast  range  of 
mountains  and  along  the  head-w^aters  of  the  great 
Yukon,  the  very  part  of  the  very  stream  we  desired  to 
explore.  It  has  only  been  within  the  last  few  years  that 
these  Tahk-heesh  Indians  havo  been  allowed  to  cross 
over  the  mountains  into  the  Chilkat  country  foi  purposes 
of  trade,  the  Chilkats  and  Chilkoots  united  having  from 
time  immemonal  completely  monopolized  the  profitable 
commerce  of  the  interior  fur  trade,  forbidding  ingress  tc 
the  whites  and  denying  egress  to  the  Indians  of  the 
interior.  From  the  former  they  bought  their  trading 
goods  and  trinkets,  and  making  them  into  convenient 
bundles  or  parcels  of  about  one  hundred  pounds  each, 
they  carried  them  on  their  backs  across  the  snow  and 
glacier  crowned  mountains,  exchanging  them  for  furs 
with  the  tribes  of  the  interior  for  many  hundreds  of 


i 


mi 


i  M 


'i 

i 

1 

\    '    ■ 

1            ; 

\m 


ii  ;■ 


60 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


miles  around.  These  furs  were  again  lashed  in  packs 
and  carried  back  over  the  same  perilous  paths  to  the  cof- 
fers of  the  white  traders,  and  although  they  realized  but 
a  small  fractional  portion  of  their  value,  yet  prices  were 
large  in  comparison  with  the  trifling  cost  to  the  venders. 
AVhen  the  trade  was  at  its  best  many  years  ago,  these 
trips  were  often  made  twice  a  year  during  the  spring  and 
summer,  and  so  great  was  the  commerce  in  those  days, 
that  no  less  than  from  eight  to  ten  tons  of  trading  material 
found  its  way  into  the  interior  by  way  of  these  Alpine 
passes,  and  was  exchanged  for  its  equivalent  in  furs.  As 
a  consequence,  the  Chilkat  nation  is  the  richest  tribe  of 
Indians  in  the  great  North-west.  Their  chief,  Shot-rich, 
alone  is  worth  about  ten  or  twelve  thousand  dollars  in 
blankets,  their  standard  of  wealth,  and  others  in  propor- 
tion, according  to  their  energy  in  the  trade.  Shot-rich 
has  three  large  native  houses  at  Klukwan,  the  main 
Chilkat  town,  two  of  which  are  tilled  with  blankets  worth 
from  two  to  four  dollars  apiece.  The  trail  on  which  we 
were  now  plodding  along  is  known  among  the  Indians  as 
the  Chilkoot  trail  to  the  interior,  and  takes  from  two  to 
four  days,  packing  their  goods  on  their  backs,  until  the 
headwaters  of  the  Yukon  are  reached.  It  was  monopo- 
lized solely  by  the  Chilkoots,  who  had  even  gone  so  far 
as  to  forbid  the  Chilkats,  almost  brothers  in  blood,  from 
using  it,  so  that  the  latter  were  forced  to  take  a  longer 
and  far  more  laborious  route.  This  route  of  the  Chilkats 
led  them  up  the  Chilkat  River  to  near  its  head,  where  a 
long  mountain  trail  that  gave  them  a  journey  of  a  week 
or  ten  days,  packing  on  their  backs,  brought  them  to  a 
tributary  of  the  Yukon,  by  means  of  which  the  interior 
was  gained.     Once  on  this  tributary  no  serious  rapids  or 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


61 


other  impediments  were  in  tlieir  line  of  travel,  while  the 
Yukon,  with  its  shorter  trail,  had  many  such  obstacles. 
The  great  Hudson  Bay  Company  with  its  well-known 
indomitable  courage,  attempted  as  early  as  1850  to  tap 
this  rich  trading  district  monopolized  by  the  Chilkat 
Indians,  and  Fort  Selkirk  was  established  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Yukon  and  Pelly,  but  so  far  away  from  tlieir 
main  base  of  supplies  on  Hudson's  Bay,  that  it  is  said  it 
took  them  a  couple  of  years  to  reach  it  with  ^rading 
effects.  The  Indians  knew  of  but  one  method  of  compe- 
tition in  business.  They  went  into  no  intricate  inventories 
for  reducing  prices  of  stock,  nor  did  they  put  bigger 
ad  vertisements  or  superior  inducements  before  their  cus- 
tomers. They  simply  organized  a  war  party,  rapidly 
descended  the  main  Yukon  for  about  live  hundred  miles, 
burned  the  buildings  and  appropriated  the  goods. 

As  the  Tahk-heesh  or  Slides  were  allowed  to  come  abroad 
so  the  white  men  were  allowed  and,  in  fact,  induced  to 
enter,  for  the  coast  Indians  found  ample  compensation  in 
carrying  the  white  men's  goods  over  the  trail  of  about 
thirty  miles  at  a  rate  which  brought  them  from  ten  to 
twelve  dollars  per  pack  of  a  hundred  pounds  in  weight ; 
and  it  was  my  intention  to  take  advantage  of  this  oppor- 
tunity to  reach  the  head  of  the  river,  and  then  fight  my 
way  down  it,  rather  than  against  its  well  known  rapid 
current,  of  which  I  had  heard  so  much  from  the  accounts 
of  explorers  on  its  lower  waters.  When  it  was  know  n, 
however,  that  I  expected  to  do  my  explorations  on  a  raft, 
the  idea  was  laughed  at  by  the  few  white  men  of  the 
country,  as  evincing  the  extreme  of  ignorance,  and  the 
Indians  seemed  to  be  but  little  behind  them  in  ridicule 
of  the  plan.     The  latter  emphatically  affirmed  that  a 


li  I 


'  m 


|i'i^  ^ 


t- 


!    / 


1--^ 


62 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  HIVEli. 


luimli'ed  jind  fifty  or  two  liundrod  miles  of  lakes  stretclied 
before  us,  uiid  wliut,  they  argued,  can  be  more  lieli)less 
than  a  raft  on  a  still  lake  1  Eight  or  ten  nnles  of  boiling 
rapids  occurred  at  various  points  in  the  course  of  the 
Ktrcnim,  and  these  would  tear  any  raft  into  a  shapeless 
wi-eck,  while  it  woidd  be  hard  to  lind  Indians  to  ]>ortage 
mv  numerous  ellV'cts  around  them.  The  unwieldiness  of 
a  great  raft — no  small  <m<'  would  serve  for  us  and  our 
stores — in  a  swift  curi'ent  was  (;onstantly  pointed  out, 
and  I  must  (confess  I  felt  a  little  discouraged  myself  when 
I  summed  up  all  these  reasons.  Why  this  or  the  Chilkat 
route  was  not  attemi)ted  long  ago  by  some  explorer,  who 
might  thereby  have  traversed  the  entire  river  in  a  single 
summer,  instead  of  combating  its  swift  current  from  its 
mouth,  seems  singular  in  the  light  of  the  above  facts, 
and  I  imagine  the  only  explanation  is  that  men  who 
would  place  sufficient  reliance  in  Indian  reports  to  insert 
in  their  maps  the  gross  inaccuracies  that  we  after- 
ward detected,  would  rely  also  upon  the  Indian  reports 
that  from  time  immemorial  have  i)ronounced  this  part  of 
the  river  to  be  unnavigable  even  for  canoes,  except  for 
short  stretches,  and  as  filled  with  rapids,  canons,  whirl- 
pools and  cascades. 

After  camping  that  night  on  the  Dayay,  bundles  were 
all  assorted  and  assigned.  The  packs  varied  from  thirty- 
six  to  a  hundred  and  thirty-seven  pounds  in  weight,  the 
men  generally  carrying  a  hundred  pounds  and  the  boys 
according  to  their  age  and  strength.  The  "  Sticks  "  or 
Tahk-heesh  Indians  camped  near  us  w^ere  hunting  black 
bear,  which  were  said  to  be  abundant  in  this  locality,  an 
assertion  which  seemed  to  be  verified  by  the  large  num- 
ber of  tracks  we  saw  in  the  valley.     From  this  band  of 


OVEH  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


08 


Indians  we  completed  our  number  of  packers,  a  circum- 
stance which  irritated  the  others  greatly,  for  the  Chilkats 
seem  to  regard  the  Sticks  almost  in  the  light  of  slaves. 
Here  I  also  secured  a  stout,  sturdy  fellow,  at  half  rates, 
merely  to  go  along  in  case  of  sickness  among  my  numer- 
ous retinue,  in  which  event  he  would  be  put  on  full  wages. 
His  onerous  dutes  consisted  in  carrying  the  guidon,  or 
expedition  flag,  weighing  four  or  five  pounds,  and  he 
improvised  himself  into  a  ferry  for  the  white  men  at  the 
numerous  fords  which  the  tortuous  Dayay  River  pre- 
sented as  we  ascended.  As  every  one  gave  him  a  nickel 
or  dime  at  each  ford,  and  the  guidon  staff  was  simply  a 
most  convenient  alpenstock,  he  was  the  envy  of  all  the 
others  as  he  slowly  but  surely  amassed  his  gains  ;  not  so 
slowly  either,  for  the  river  made  so  many  windings  from 
one  side  of  its  high  walled  valley  to  the  other,  that  his 
receipts  rivaled  a  western  railroad  in  the  matter  of  mile- 
age, but  the  locomotion  was  scarcely  as  comfortable  as 
railroad  travel. 

During  the  still,  quiet  evening  we  could  hear  many 
grouse  hooting  in  the  spruce  woods  of  the  hillsides,  this 
time  of  day  seeming  to  be  their  favorite  hour  for  concerts. 
The  weather  on  this,  the  first  day  of  our  trip,  was  splen- 
did, with  a  light  southern  wind  that  went  down  with  the 
Sim  and  gave  us  a  few  mist-like  sprinkles  of  rain,  serving 
to  cool  the  air  and  make  slumber  after  our  fatigue  doubly 
agreeable.  The  head  of  canoe  navigation  on  the  Dayay 
river,  where  it  terminates  abruptly  in  a  huge  boiling  cas- 
cade, is  ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  although 
fully  fifteen  are  traveled  by  the  canoemen  in  ascending 
its  tortuous  course,  which  is  accomplished  by  the  usual 
Indian  method  of  "tracking,"  with  ropes  and  poles  from 


(I 


it  > 

'i 


^: 


iH 


\}\ 


\^ 


64 


/W.OAY/  yl/.^LSAM'.S'  am: AT  TUVER. 


tliH  bank  ot'tliu  I'ivrr.  I  (>b,s»'i'v«'(l  rluit  they  "tmrktul" 
their  cjinocs  u^ainst  tlu'ciinciit  iutwowjiy.s,  t'lich  iiictliod 
i'('(julriii^'  two  iiu'ii  to  one  caiioc.     The  (liagi'a'ii.s  given 

will  hIiow  tliese  Hiefhods  ;  in  No.  1,  an 

Indian   pulls  tiie  canoci  with  a  rope, 

while  a  companion  just  in  his  rear  and 

roilowlng  in  his  Htei)S  keeps  the  head 

of  tile  canoe  in  tin;  stream,  with  a  long 

pole,  at  just  such  distance  as  lie  may 

E;    desire  according  to  the  obstacles  that 

M    are  presentetl.     II'  the  water  from  the 

'    bank  for  some  distance  out,  say  twelve 

^    or  lif teen  feet,  is  clear  of  all  obstacles, 

^    his  companion  will  fall  to  the  rear  as 

'-^    far  as  his  i)ole  will  allow  and  assist  the 

<; 

^    ropeman  by  pnshing  up  stream,  but 

2    in  shallow,  swift  places  he  has  all  he 

%    can  do  to  regulate  the  canoe's  course 

^    through    the   projecting   stones,    and 

^    the  luirden  of  i\\Q  draft  falls  on  the 

roi)eman.     In  the  other  mode  both  the 

men  use  poles  Jind  all  the  motive  power 

is  furnished  by  pushing.     The  advan- 


tage  over  the  first  is  that  in  "boiling 


15 


water  full  of  stones,  the  bowman  may 
steer  his  end  clear  of  all  of  these,  only 
to  have  the  seething  waters  throw  the 
stern  against  a  sharp  corner  of  a  rock 
and  tear  a  hole  in  that  part,  an  accident  which  can  only 
be  avoided  by  placing  a  poleman  at  the  stern.  It  is 
readily  apparent,  however,  that  there  is  much  more 
power  expended  in  this  method  of  making  headway 


V        ^H 

^  t 


'4  .'A^i^] 


t 

1 

1 

f 

111 

b 

jii 

^ 

OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


67 


against  the  current  than  in  the  other.  Some  few  of  the 
Indians  judiciously  vary  the  two  methods  to  suit  the  cir- 
cumstances. On  long  stretches  of  only  moderately  swift 
water  the  tired  trackers  would  take  turns  in  resting  in  the 
canoe,  using  a  paddle  to  hold  the  bow  out  from  the  shore. 
The  current  of  the  Dayay  is  very  swift,  and  two  davs' 
"tracking  "is  often  required  to  traverse  the  navigable 
l)art  of  the  stream.  Every  few  hundred  yards  or  so  the 
river  needs  to  be  crossed,  wherever  the  timber  on  the 
banks  is  dense,  or  where  the  circuitous  river  cuts  deep 
into  the  high  hillsides  that  form  the  boundaries  of  its 
narrow  valley.  In  these  crossings  from  fifty  to  a  hund- 
red yards  would  often  be  lost.  The  Indians  seemed  to 
make  no  effort  whatever  to  stem  the  swift  current  in 
crossing,  but  pointed  the  canoe  straight  across  for  tlie 
other  b.mk  aad  paddled  away  as  if  dear  life  dex^ended 
on  the  result. 

The  march  of  tlie  8tli  to  Camp  3,  brought  us  within  a 
half  mile  or  a  mile  of  the  head  of  canoe  navigation  on  the 
river,  and  here  the  Indians  desired  to  camj),  as  at  that 
particular  spot  there  is  no  dry  wood  with  which  to  cook 
their  meals  ;  although  all  they  had  to  cook  was  the  little 
flour  that  I  had  issued,  the  salmon  being  dried  and  eaten 
without  further  preparation.  The  Dayay  V^alley  is  well 
wooded  in  its  bottom  with  poplar  and  several  varieties 
o-^  willow,  and  where  these  small  forests  did  not  exist 
were  endless  ridges  of  sand,  gravel  and  even  huge  bowl- 
ders cutting  across  each  other  at  all  angles,  evidently  the 
work  of  water,  assisted  at  times  by  tht  more  powerful 
agenc>  of  moving  or  stranded  ice.  All  day  we  had  been 
crossing  bear  tracks  of  different  ages,  and  after  camping 
some  of  the  \a  hite  men  i)addled  across  the  river  (here 


'THimm.^.^ 


ml 


■J  ri 


68 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


thirty-five  or  forty  yards  wide)  to  take  a  stroll  np  the 
valley  ;  and  while  returning  a  large  black  bear  was  seen 
perched  on  a  conspicuous  granite  ridge  of  the  western 
mountain  wall,  probably  four  hundred  yards  away  and  at 
an  angle  of  twenty  degrees  above  our  position  in  the  river 
bottom.  A  member  of  the  party  got  two  shots  at  him, 
but  he  disappeared  in  the  dense  underbrush,  evidently 
afraid  that  the  sportsman  might  aim  at  something  else 
and  so  hit  him.  Dr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Homan  fished  with 
bait  and  Hies  for  a  long  distance  up  and  down  the  differ- 
ent channels  of  the  river,  but  could  not  get  a  single  ' '  rise ' ' 
or  "  bite,"  although  the  Indians  catch  mountain  trout  in 
their  peculiar  fish- weirs,  having  offered  us  that  very  day 
a  number  thus  captured.  Like  all  streams  rising  in 
glacier  bearing  lands  of  calcareous  structure,  its  waters 
are  very  white  and  chalky,  which  may  account  for  the 
apparent  reluctance  of  the  fish  to  rise  to  a  fly.  The 
pretty  Avaterfalls  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains  still  con- 
tinued and  the  glaciers  of  the  summits  became  more 
numerous  and  strongly  marked,  and  descended  nearer  to 
the  bed  of  the  stream. 

I  CO  .Id  not  but  observe  the  peculiar  manifestations  of 
surprise  characteristic  of  the  Chilkats.  Whenever  one 
uttered  a  shout  over  some  trifle,  such  as  a  comrade's 
slipping  on  a  slimy  stone  into  the  water,  or  tumbling 
over  the  root  of  a  log,  or  any  mishap,  comical  or  other- 
wise, every  one  within  hearing,  from  two  to  two  hundred, 
Avould  immediately  chime  in,  and  such  a  cry  would  ensue 
as  to  strike  us  with  astonishment.  This  may  be  repeated 
several  times  in  a  minute,  and  the  abruptness  with  which 
it  Avould  begin  and  end,  so  that  not  a  single  distinct  voice 
can  be  heard  at  either  beginning  or  ending,  reminds  one 


:■     .\ 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


Q^ 


rr: 


somewhat  of  a  gang  of  coyotes  liowling  aronncl  a  frontier 
camp  or  the  bayings  of  Indian  dogs  on  moonlight  sere- 
nades, from  which  one  would  be  strongly  tempted  to 
believe  they  had  borrowed  it.  Withal  they  are  a  most 
hajDiDy,  merry-hearted  and  jovial  race,  laughing  hilar- 
iously at  every  thing  with  the  least  shadow  of  comicality 
about  it,  and  "  guying"  every  trifling  mishap  of  a  com- 
panion in  which  the  sufferer  is  expected  to  join,  just  as 
the  man  who  chases  his  hat  in  a  muddy  street  on  a  windy 
day  must  laugh  with  the  crowd.  Such  characteristics  of 
good  nature  are  generally  suj^posed  to  be  accompanied 
by  a  generous  disposition,  especially  as  toward  men  of 
the  same  blood,  but  I  was  compelled  to  notice  an  almost 
cruel  piece  of  selfishness  which  they  exhibited  in  one 
point,  and  which  told  strongly  against  any  such  theory 
as  applied  to  Indians,  or  at  least  this  particular  band  of 
them.  When  we  got  to  the  mouth  of  the  Day  ay  river, 
many  of  the  packers  had  no  canoes  in  which  to  track 
their  bundles  or  packs  to  the  head  of  canoe  navigation, 
and  their  companions  who  owned  such  craft  flatly  and 
decisively  refused  to  take  their  packs,  although,  as  far  as 
I  could  see,  it  would  have  caused  them  no  inconvenience 
w'.iatever.  In  many  cases  this  selfishness  was  the  effect 
of  caste,  to  which  I  have  already  alluded  and  which  with 
them  is  carried  to  an  extreme  hardly  equaled  in  the 
social  distinctions  of  any  other  savage  people.  Nor 
was  this  the  only  conspicuous  instance  of  selfishness  dis- 
played. As  I  have  already  said,  the  Dayay  is  very  tor- 
tuous, wide  and  swift,  and  therefore  has  vevy  few  fords, 
and  these  at  inconvenient  intervals  for  travelers  carry- 
ing a  hundred  pounds  apiece  on  their  backs,  yet  the 
slight  service  of  ferrying  the  packers  and  their  packs 


mmm 


t^^K 


mrmm 


mm»mi^- 


TjT 

i! 

n 


ffi 


n 


I 


If. 

('\ 

(1 

fi  '4 

M^ 

III 

Mil     ! 


70 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


across  the  stream  was  refused  by  the  canoemen  as  rigidly 
as  the  other  favor,  and  where  the  river  cut  deep  into 
some  high  projecting  bank  of  the  mountain  flanks,  these 
unfortunate  pacliers  would  be  forced  to  carry  burdens 
up  over  some  precipitous  mountain  spur,  or  at  least  to 
make  a  long  detour  in  search  of  available  fords. 
My  readers  can  rest  assured  that  I  congratulated  myself 
on  having  taken  along  a  spare  packer  in  the  event  of 
sickness  among  my  numerous  throng,  for  even  in  such  a 
case  I  found  them  as  disobliging  and  unaccommodating 
as  before,  utterly  refusing  to  touch  a  sick  man's  load 
until  he  had  promised  them  the  lion's  share  of  his  wages 
and  I  had  ratified  the  contract. 

Every  afternoon  or  evening  after  getting  into  camp, 
no  matter  how  fatiguing  the  march  had  been,  as  soon  as 
their  simple  meal  was  cooked  and  consumed,  they  would 
gather  here  and  there  in  little  parties  for  the  i)urpose  of 
gambling,  and  oftentimes  their  orgies  would  run  far  into 
the  small  hours  of  the  night.  The  gambling  game  which 
they  called  la-hell  was  the  favorite  during  the  trip  over 
the  Chilkoot  trail,  although  I  understand  that  they  have 
others  not  so  complicated.  This  game  requires  an  even 
number  of  players,  generally  from  four  to  twelve, 
divided  into  two  parties  which  face  each  other.  These 
"teams"  continue  sitting  about  two  or  three  feet  apart, 
with  their  legs  drawn  up  under  them,  a  la  Tiirque,  the 
place  selected  being  usually  in  sandy  ground  under 
the  shade  of  a  grove  of  poplar  or  willow  trees.  P^ach 
man  lays  a  wager  with  the  person  directly  opposite  him, 
with  whom  alone  he  gambles  as  far  as  the  gain  or  loss  of 
his  stake  is  concerned,  although  such  loss  or  gain  is 
determined  by  the  success  of  the  team  as  a  wholv\    In 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


71 


other  words,  when  a  game  terminates  one  team  of  course 
is  the  winner,  but  each  player  wins  only  the  stake  put 
up  by  his  vis-a-vis.  A  handful  of  willow  sticks,  three 
or  four  inches  long,  and  from  a  dozen  to  a  score  in  num- 
ber, are  thrust  in  the  sand  or  soft  earth,  between  the  two 
rows  of  squatting  gamblers,  and  by  means  of  these  a  sort 
of  running  record  or  tally  of  the  game  is  kept.  The 
implements  actually  employed  in  gambling  are  merely  a 
couple  of  small  bone -bobbins,  as  shown  on  page  227,  of 
about  the  size  of  a  lady's  pen-knife,  one  of  which  has 
one  or  more  bands  of  black  cut  around  it  near  its  center 
and  is  called  the  king,  the  other  being  pure  white.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  game,  one  of  the  players  picks 
up  the  bone-bobbins,  changes  them  rapidly  from  one 
hand  to  the  other,  sometimes  behind  his  back,  then 
again  under  an  apron  or  hat  resting  on  his  lap,  during 
all  of  which  time  the  whole  assembly  are  singing  in  a 
low  measured  melody  the  words,  "Oh!  oh!  oh!  Oh, 
ker-shoo,  ker-shoo ! — "  which  is  kept  up  with  their 
elbows  flapping  agair.st  their  sides  and  their  heads 
swaying  to  the  tune,  until  some  player  of  the  opposite 
row,  thinking  he  is  inspired,  and  singing  with  unusual 
vehemence,  suddenly  points  out  the  hand  of  the  juggler 
that,  in  his  belief,  contains  "the king,"  If  his  guess  is 
correct,  his  team  i)icks  up  one  of  the  willow  sticks  and 
places  it  on  their  side,  or,  if  the  juggler' steam  has  gained, 
any  one  of  their  sticks  must  be  replaced  in  the  reserve 
at  the  center.  If  he  is  wrong  then,  the  other  side  tallies 
one  in  the  same  way.  The  bone  "  king  and  queen  "  are 
then  handed  to  an  Indian  in  the  other  row,  and  the  same 
performance  repeated,  although  it  may  be  twice  as  long, 
or  half  as  short,  as  no  native  attempts  to  discern  the 


I  1 

ii 


II 


Pi 


72 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


h 


11 

I 

i  t 

•\ 
•I! 

i  If  I 


whereabouts  of  the  "  king"  nntil  he  feels  he  lias  a  revel- 
ation to  that  effect,  jjrodiiced  by  the  incantation.  A 
game  will  last  any  where  from  half  an  hoiu-  o  thr<Hi  hours. 
AVhenever  the  game  is  nearly  conclu(le(i  and  one  party 
has  gained  almost  all  the  willow  sticks,  or  at  any  other 
exciting  point  of  the  game,  they  have  methods  of 
"doubling  up"  on  the  wagei's,  by  not  exchanging  the 
bobbins  but  holding  both  in  one  hand  or  leaving  one  or 
both  on  the  ground  under  a  hat  or  apron,  and  the 
guesses  are  about  both  and  count  doul)l(%  treble  or 
quadruple,  for  loss  oi"  gain.  They  wager  the  caps  off  their 
heads,  their  shirts  off  their  backs,  and  with  many  of  them 
no  doubt,  their  prospective  pny  for  the  ti'i])  was  all  gone 
before  it  was  half  earned.  Men  and  boys  alike  entered 
the  contest,  and  from  half  a  dozen  places  at  once,  in  the 
woods  near  by,  could  be  heard  tlie  everlasting  refrain, 
the  never-ceasing  chant  of  "Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  Oh  !  ker-shoo, 
ker-shoo  !  "  They  used  also  to  improvise  hats  of  birch- 
bai'k  (wherever  that  tree  grew  near  the  evening  camp) 
Avith  pictui-es  upon  them  that  a\  ould  prohibit  their  pass- 
ing through  the  mails.  These  habits  do  not  indicate 
any  great  moral  improvement  thus  far  produced  by  con- 
tact with  civilization. 

Two  miles  and  a  half  beyond  the  head  of  canoe  navi- 
gation, the  Kul-lali-cook-ali  River  of  the  Chilkats  comes 
in  from  the  west.  This  is  really  hirger  in  volume  and 
width  than  the  Dayay,  the  two  averaging  respectively 
fifty  and  forty  yards  in  width  by  estimation.  I  short- 
ened its  name,  and  called  it  after  Professor  Nourse  of 
the  United  States  Naval  Observatory.  I^arge  glaciers 
feed  its  sources  by  numerous  waterfalls,  and  its  canon- 
like  bed  is  very  picturesque.     Like  all  such  streams  its 


& 


► 

5  -■3 
Ik  2. 

Sis' 

rt    -t     _. 

K?  o 
ni»  2. 


I^s 


0 


«  =  "     3 
r,:z<i     en 


»  ^«.    -^ 

O  o  "•      ^ 

o  a  n     f 
S.^  »     ? 

X   " 

e  — ^ 
c  K  S 

O  •/.  <B 
0?  H.3 

t^  o 
•c  s  ™ 

So  S'o 

■  B^ 


,  ,  4)' 


I 


!•'  }\- 


\l 


■m 


•1i!*i<^N**.-,.,..- 


'ii 


t: 


[I 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


75 


waters  were  conspicuously  white  and  milk-like,  and  the 
most  diligent  fisherman  was  unrewarded.  At  the  head 
of  the  Nourse  River  the  Indians  say  there  is  a  very  large 
lake.  The  mountains  that  bound  its  course  on  the  west  are 
capped  by  an  immense  glacier,  which  might  be  traced 
along  their  summits  for  probably  ten  or  twelve  miles,  and 
was  then  lost  in  the  lowering  clouds  of  their  icy  crests. 
These  light  fogs  are  frequent  on  warm  days,  when  the 
difference  of  temperature  at  the  upper  and  lower  levels 
is  more  marked,  but  they  disappear  at  night  as  the  tem- 
peratures approach  each  other.  This  glacier,  a  glimpse 
of  which  is  given  on  page  73,  was  named  after  Professor 
Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at  Washington. 
The  march  of  the  9th  of  June  took  us  three  miles  and  a 
half  up  the  Dayay  River,  and  while  resting,  about  noon, 
I  was  astonished  to  hear  the  Indians  declare  this  was 
their  expected  camp  for  the  night,  for  we  had  really 
accomplished  so  little.  I  was  much  inclined  to  anticipate 
that  the  rest  of  the  journey  was  not  much  worse,  and 
would  give  a  forcible  example  of  the  maxim  that 
"dangers  disappear  as  they  are  approached."  The 
rough  manner  in  which  my  illusions  were  dispelled  will 
appear  further  on.  Another  inducement  to  stop  at  this 
particular  point  was  found  in  a  small  grove  of  spruce 
saplings  just  across  the  river,  which  was  so  dense  that 
each  tree  trunk  tapered  as  regularly  as  if  it  had  been 
turned  from  a  lathe.  These  they  desired  for  salmon- 
spears,  cutting  them  on  their  way  over  the  trail,  and  col- 
lecting them  as  they  returned,  so  as  to  give  the  poles  a 
few  days  to  season,  thus  rendering  them  lighter  for  the 
dextrous  work  required.  These  peculiar  kinds  of  fish- 
spears  are  so  common  over  all  the  districts  of  Arctic  and 


I  i« 


i 


70 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  (J HEAT  lilVl'JIi. 


^    1 


■  i  I. 


:,'i. 


1  J 


'im 


* 


if 


i\ 


sub-Airtic  Amcrk'a  that  1  think  thcni  wortliy  of  dosrrip- 
tion.  The  pole  is  from  ci^ht  to  twelve  I'eet  in  length, 
extending  from  P  to  P,  us  shown  in  the  lignre  on 
this  page.     Two  arms  A  A  are  made  of  elastic^  wood,  iind 

at  their  ends  they  carry  in- 
curved si)ikes  of  iron  or  steel, 
S  S,  whicli  a(!t  as  barbs  on  a 
fish-hook.  Another  sharpened 
spike  projects  from  the  tip  of 
the  pole  P,  ana  the  three  to- 
gether make  tlie  prongs  of  tlie 
spear  or  gig.  When  tlie  fish  is 
speared  tlie  arms  A  A  bend  out 
as  the  spikes  "ride"ovei  its 
back,  and  these  insert  them- 
selves in  its  sides,  the  pole  spike 
penetrating  its  back.  In  the 
figure  there  is  represented  the 
cross-section  of  a  fish  (its  dorsal- 
fin  D)  just  before  th(^  spear 
strikes.  Among  the  Eskimo  of 
King  William's  Land  I  found 
the  spear- handles  made  of 
driftwood  thrown  on  the  beach, 
the  arms  A  A  made  of  very 
elastic  musk-ox  horn,  and  the 
spikes  of  coi)per  taken  from  the 
abandoned  ships  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  ill-fated  ex- 
pedition. Again  at  this  camp  (Xo.  4),  the  fishing-tackle 
of  various  kinds  was  emj^loyed  vigilantly,  but  altliongii 
the  water  seemed  much  clearer  there  were  no  results,  the 
doctor    advancing  the  theory  that  trout  Avill  not  rise 


> 


n; 

r> 

1 

C 

»^ 

(5 

rr. 

?► 

p 

c 

*^ 

rr. 

n 

C 

n, 

O 

K 

NH 

O 

y 

"^ 

>j 

O 
B 


n 


> 
-1 


a      J. 

B    ."^ 
o 


a      '^ 


s 

O 

o 

«: 
n 


c 

15 


ff 


J  il 


■\<.i 


n 


yi  If 


C  ' 


O  \  I'lli  Tllh:  MO  TINT  A  I\  I '.  \  SS. 


70 


to  a  fly  in  strojims  whcro  salmon  are  .spawning?,  as  they 
then  live  on  the  salmon  roe  to  the  excrlusion  of  every 
tliin/jf  else. 

At  tliis  camp  I  saw  the  Chilkat  boy  packers  wrest lin<]j 
in  a  very  singular  manner,  dilt'erent  from  any  thiii<i;  in 
that  branch  of  athletics  with  which  I  am  accpiaiuted. 
The  two  wrestlers  lie  flat  on  their  backs  upon  the  ground 
or  sand  and  against  each  other,  but  head  to  foot,  or  in 
opposite  directions.  Their  inner  legs,  i.e.,  those  touching 
their  opponents,  are  raised  higli  in  the  air,  carried  i)jist 
each  other,  and  then  locked  together  at  the  knee.  Th(3y 
then  rise  to  a  sitting  posture,  or  as  nearly  as  jiossible, 
and  with  their  nearest  arms  locked  into  a  firm  hold  at 
the  elbows,  the  contest  commences.  It  evidently  recxuires 
no  mean  amount  of  strength  to  get  on  top  of  an  ecpud 
adversary,  and  the  game  seems  to  demand  considerable 
agility,  although  the  efforts  of  the  contestants,  as  they 
rolled  around  like  two  angle  worms  tied  together,  aj)- 
peared  more  awkward  than  graceful. 

Northward  from  this  camp  (No.  4),  lying  between  the 
Nourse  and  Dayay  Rivers,  was  the  southern  terminal 
spur  of  a  large  glacier,  whose  upper  end  was  lost  in  the 
cold  drifting  fog  that  clung  to  it,  and  which  can  be  seen 
on  page  77.  I  called  it  the  Saussure  Glacier,  after 
Professor  Henri  de  Saussure,  of  Geneva,  Switzerland. 
The  travels  in  the  Dayay  Inlet  and  up  the  valley  oi  the 
river  had  been  reasonably  pleasant,  but  on  the  10th  of 
June  our  course  lay  over  the  rough  mountain  spurs  of 
the  east  side  for  ten  or  twelve  miles,  upon  a  trail  fully 
equal  to  forty  or  fifty  miles  over  a  good  road  for  a  day's 
walking.  Short  as  the  march  was  in  actual  measurement, 
it  consumed  from  7; 30  in  the  morning  until  7:15  in  the 


\'lp'i 


" — ^^t^r-^-^Jiilii 


■!^ 


'V 


'  if 


It'  ''\ 


80 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVFli. 


evening  ;  nearly  half  the  time,  liowever,  being  occupied 
in  .esting  froia  the  extreme  fatigue  of  the  journey.  In 
fact,  in  many  places  it  was  a  terrible  scramble  up  and 
down  hill,  over  huge  trunks  and  bristling  limbs  of  fallen 
timber  too  far  apart  to  leap  from  one  to  tli3  other,  while 
between  was  a  boggy  swamp  that  did  not  increase  the 
l)leasure  of  carrying  a  hundred  pounds  on  one's  ba(!k, 
Sometimes  we  would  sink  in  almost  to  ou ?  knees,  wliile 
every  now  and  then  this  agony  was  supplemented  by  the 
recurrences  of  long  high  ridges  of  rough  bowlders  of 
trachyte  with  a  si)lintery  fracture.  The  latter  felt  like 
hot  iron  under  the  wet  moccasins  after  walking  on  them 
and  jumping  from  one  to  the  other  for  awhile.  Some  of 
thode great  ridges  of  bowlders  on  the  steej")  hillsides  must 
have  been  of  quite  recent  origin,  and  from  the  size  of  the 

big  rocks,  often 
ten  or  twi'lve 
feet  in  diameter, 
I  infer  that  the 
force  employed 
must  have  been 
enormous,  and  I 
could  only  ac- 
count for  it  on  the  theory  that  ice  had  been  an  im- 
portant agent  in  the  result.  So  recent  were  some  of 
the  ridges  that  trees  thirty  and  forty  feet  high  wei-e 
embedded  in  the  debris,  and  where  they  were  not 
cut  off  and  crushed  by  the  action  of  the  rocks  tliey  wero 
growing  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  although  half  tlu^ 
length  of  their  trunks  m  some  cases  was  below  tlie  tops 
of  the  ridges.  I  hardly  thought  that  any  of  the  tiees 
could  be  over  forty  oi*  lifty  years  old.    Where  these 


POSITION    OF   THE    jn^ET   IN  WALKING  A  LOG, 
AS  r.KACTICED  By  THE  CIIILKAT  INDIANS. 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN-  PASS. 


81 


ridges  of  g^v^at  bowlders  were  very  wide  one  would  be 
obliged  to  follow  close  behind  some  Indian  packer 
acquainted  with  the  trail,  which  might  easily  be  lost 
befora  re-entering  the  brush. 

That  day  I  noticed  that  all  my  Indians,  in  crossing 
logs  over  a  stream,  always  turned  the  toes  of  both  feet  in 
the  same  direction  (to  the  right),  although  they  kei)t  the 
body  square  to  the  front,  or  nearly  so,  and  each  foot  passed 
the  other  at  every  step,  as  in  ordinary  walking.  The 
advantage  to  be  gained  was  not  obvious  to  the  author ; 
as  the  novice,  in  attempting  it,  feels  much  more  unsafe 
than  in  walking  over  the  log  as  usual.  Nearing  Camp 
5,  we  passed  over  two  or  three  hundred  yards  of  snow 
from  three  to  fifteen  feet  deep.  This  day's  march  of  the 
10th  of  June  brought  us  to  the  head  of  the  Dayay  river 
at  a  place  the  Indians  call  the  "stone-houses."  These 
stone-houses,  however,  are  only  a  loose  mass  of  huge 
bowlders  piled  over  each  other,  projecting  high  above 
the  deep  snow,  and  into  the  cave-like  crevices  the 
natives  crawl  for  protection  whenever  the  snow  has 
buried  all  other  tracts,  or  the  cold  wind  from  the  gla- 
ciers is  too  severe  to  permit  of  sleep  in  the  open.  All 
around  us  was  snow  or  the  clear  blue  ice  of  the  glacier 
fronts,  while  directly  northward,  and  seemingly  impas- 
sable, there  loomed  up  for  nearly  four  thousand  feet  the 
precipitous  pass  through  the  mountains,  a  blank  mass 
of  steep  white,  which  we  were  to  essay  on  the  morrow. 

Shortly  after  camping  I  was  told  that  the  Indians  had 
seen  a  mountain  goat  nearly  on  the  sunmiitof  the  western 
mountain  wall,  and  I  was  able  to  make  out  his  presence 
with  the  aid  of  lield-glasses.  The  Indians  had  detected 
him  with  thyir  unaided  eyes,  in  spite  of  his  white  coat 


P 


i     Mj 


Vi 


!• 


W 


!ii 


1,    i: 


\  ■ 


!i 


1 1  il'i 
11:1 1 ! 


11  m  '^ 


82 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


being  against  a  background  of  snow.  Had  the  goat 
been  on  the  summit  of  a  mountain  in  the  moon  I  should 
not  have  regarded  him  as  any  safer  tlum  where  h»i  wans, 
if  th('  Indians  were  e  <  i*  lialf  as  fatigued  ^^  I  felt,  and 


i-*^- 


CHASING    A    MOUNTAIN    GOAT    IN    THE    I'l'RRIER    PASS. 

they  had  carried  a  hundred  pounds  over  the  trail  and  I 
had  not.  But  the  identity  of  the  goat  was  not  fi.lly 
established  before  an  Indian,  the  only  one  who  cariied  a 
gun,  an  »)1(1  Hint-lock,  smooth  bore,  Hudson  Bay  mus- 
ket, made  pn>i)arat  ions  for  the  chase.  He  ran  across  the 
valley  and  soon  '.  onimeuced  the  ascent  of  the  mount- 


Y 
a 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


83 


ains,  in  a  little  while  almost  disappearing  on  the  white 
sides,  looking  like  a  fly  crawling  over  tlie  front  of  a 
house.  The  Indian,  a  "Stick,"  Anally  could  be  seen 
above  the  mountain  goat  and  would  have  secured  him. 
but  that  a  little  black  cur  dog  which  had  started  to  fol- 
low him  when  he  was  almost  at  the  summit,  made  its 
appearance  on  the  scene  Just  in  time  to  frighten  the  ani- 
mal and  started  him  running  down  the  mountain  side 
toward  the  pass,  the  "  Stick"  closely  following  in  pur- 
suit, assisted  by  the  dog.  Just  as  every  one  expected 
to  see  the  goat  disappear  through  the  pass,  he  wheeled 
directly  around  and  started  straight  for  the  camj),  i)ro- 
ducing  great  excitement.  Every  one  grabbed  the  first 
g' a i  he  could  get  his  hands  on  and  waited  for  the  ani- 
mai  s  approach.  A  shot  from  camp  sent  him  flying  up 
the  eastern  mountains,  which  were  higher  than  those  of 
the  west,  closely  followed  almost  to  the  summit  by  the 
indefatigable  "  Stick,"  who  finally  lost  him.  I  thought 
it  showed  excellent  endurance  for  the  mountain  goat, 
but  the  Indian's  pluck  was  beyond  all  praise,  and  as  he 
returned  with  a  jovial  shake  of  the  head,  as  if  he  met 
such  disappointments  every  day,  I  felt  sure  that  I  would 
not  have  undertaken  his  hunt  for  all  the  goat  meat  in 
the  country,  even  with  starvation  at  hand. 

On  the  morning  of  the  next  day  about  five  o'clock,  we 
commenced  the  toilsome  ascent  of  this  coast  range  pass, 
called  by  the  Indian^3  Kotusk  Mountains,  and  by  seven 
o'clock  all  my  long  pack  train  was  strung  up  the  precip- 
itous pass,  making  one  of  the  prettiest  Alpine  sights 
that  I  have  ever  witnessed,  and  as  seen  from  a  distance 
strangely  resembling  a  row  of  bowlders  projecting  fi'om 
the  snow.     Up  banks  almost  perpendicular  they  scram- 


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84 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


l)l(.'d  on  their  liands  and  knees,   helping  themselves  by 
(ivery  projecting  rock  and  clnmp  of  jnnijDer  and  dwarf 
spruce,  not  «ven  refusing  to  use  their  teeth  on  them  at 
the  worst  pla  ;es.     Aloi  g  the  steep  snow  banks  and  the 
icy  fronts  of  glaciers  steps  were  cut  with  knives,  while 
rough    alpenstocks    from    the    valley  helped  them  to 
maintain  their  footing.     In  some  such  places  the  incline 
was  so  steep  that  those  having  boxes  on  their  backs  cut 
scratches  in  the  icy  crust  with  the  corners  as  they  passed 
along,  and  oftentimes  it  was  possible  to  steady  one's  self 
by  the  open  palm  of  the  hand  resting  against  the  snow. 
In  some  of  these  places  a  single  mis-step,  or  the  caving 
in  of  a  foot-hold  would  have  sent  the  unfortunate  ti-av- 
^'ler  many  hundr(?d  feet  headlong  tc»  certain   destruc- 
tion.    Yet  not  the    slightest  accident  happened,   and 
about  ten  o'clock,   almost  exhausted,  we  stood  on  the 
toji  of  the  pass,  enveloped  in  a  cold  drifting  fog,  4,240 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  (a  small  portion  of  the 
pnrty  having  found  a  lower  crossing  at  4,100  feet  above 
sea-level).     How  these  small  Indians,  not  apparently 
averaging  over  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  in  weight, 
could  carry  one  hundred  pounds  up  such  a  precipitous 
mountain  of  ice  and   snow,    seemt    marvelous  beyond 
measure.     One  man   carried  one   hundred  and  thir  y- 
seven  pounds,  n-liile  boys  from  twelve  to  fourteen  car- 
ried from  fifty  to   seventy  pounds.      I  called  this   the 
Perrier  Pass  after  Colonel  J.  Perrier  of  the  French  (jreo- 
graphical  Society. 

Once  on  top  of  the  Pass  the  trail  leads  northward  and 
the  descent  is  very  rapid  for  a  few  hundred  >  ards  to  a 
lake  of  about  a  hundred  acres  in  extent,  which  was  yet 
frozen  over  and  the   ice  covered  with  snow,  although 


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OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS. 


87 


drainage  from  the  slopes  had  made  the  snow  very  slushy. 
Over  the  level  tracks  of  snow  many  of  the  Indians  wore 
their  snow  hoes,  which  in  the  ascent  and  steep  descent 
had  been  lashed  to  their  packs.  These  Indians  have  two 
kinds  of  snow-shoes,  a  very  broad  pair  used  while  pack- 
ing, as  with  my  party,  and  a  narrower  and  neater  kind 
employed  while  hunting.  The  two  kinds  are  figured 
below.  This  small  lake,  abruptly  walled  in,  greatly 
resembled  an  extinct  crater,  and  such  it  may  well  have 
been.  From  this  re- 
semblance it  received 
its  name  of  Crater 
Lake,  a  view  of  which 
figures  as  the  frontis- 
piece. Here  there  was 
no  timber,  not  even 
brush,  to  be  see r^  ; 
while  the  gullies  of  the 
granite  hills,  and  the 
valleys  deeply  covered 
with  snow,  gave  the 
whole  scene  a  decid- 
edly Arctic  apjiear- 
ance.  I  noticed  that 
my  Indian  j)ackers, 
in  following  a  trail  on  snow,  whether  it  was  up  hill,  on 
a  level,  or  even  a  slight  descent,  always  stepped  in  each 
other's  tracks,  and  hence  our  large  party  made  a  trail 
that  at  first  glance  looked  as  if  only  five  or  six  had  passed 
over  ;  but  when  going  down  a  steep  descent,  especially  on 
soft  snoAv,  each  one  made  his  own  trail,  and  they  scat- 
tered out  over  many  yards  in  width.     I  could  not  but  be 


CIIILKAT  HTNTING  AND  PACKING  SNOW- 
SHOES. 

The  usual  thongs  r.vj  used  to  fasten  them  to  the 
feet,  but  are  not  bIiowu  in  the  ilhistration. 


^iii 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

impressed  with  tlie  idea  that  this  was  worth  considering 
should  it  ever  be  necessary  to  estimate  their  numbers. 
From  tlie  little  crater-like  lake  at  the  very  head  of  the 
Yukon,  the  trail  leads  through  a  valley  that  converges  to 
a  gorge  ;  and  while  crossing  the  snow  in  this  ravine  we 
could  hear  the  running  water  gurgling  under  the  snow 
bridge  on  which  we  were  walking.    Further  down  the  lit- 
tle vallev,  as  it  opened  at  a  point  where  these  snow- 
arches  were  too  wide  to  support  their  weight,  they  had 
tumbled  into  the  stream,  showing  in  many  i)laces  abut- 
ments of  deep  perpendicular  snow-banks  often  twenty  to 
twenty-five  feet  in  height.     Where  the  river  banks  were 
of  stone  and  perjiendicular  the  packers  were  forced  to 
pass  over  the  projecting  abutments  of  snow,  undermined 
by  the  swift  stream.     It  was  hazardous  for  many  to 
attempt  the  passage  over  the  frail  structure  at  the  same 
time.     Passing  by  a  few  small  picturesque  lakes  on  our 
left,  some  still  containing  floating  cakes  of  ice,  w^e  caught 
sight  of  the  main  lake  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  a  few 
hours  were  upon  its  banks  at  a  point  where  a  beautiful 
mountain  stream  came  tumbling  in,  with  enough  swift 
water  to  necessitate  crossing  on  a  log.     Near  the  Crater 
Lake  a  curlew  and  a  swallow  were  seen,  and  a  small  black 
bear  cub    was  the    only    other    living    thing  visible, 
although  mountain  goats  were  abundant  a  short  distance 
back  in  the  high  hills.     We  had  gotten  into  camp  quite 
late  in  the  evening  and  here  the  contracts  with  our  Indian 
packers  expired. 

Imagine  my  surprise,  after  a  fatiguing  march  of  thir- 
teen miles  that  had  required  fourteen  hours  to  accom- 
plish, and  was  fully  equal  to  forty  or  fifty  on  any  good 
road,  at  having  the  majority  of  my  packers,  men   and 


!(1:  I 


iii  : 


OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS.  89 

boys,  demand  payment  at  once  with  the  view  of  an 
immediate  return.  Some  of  them  assured  me  they  would 
make  the  mouth  of  the  Dayay  before  stopping,  and  would 
then  only  stay  for  a  short  rest.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  we  were  so  far  north  and  the  sun  so  near  his  north- 
ern solstice  that  it  was  light  enough  even  at  midnight, 
for  traveling  purposes,  especially  on  the  white  snow  of 
the  worst  portion  of  the  Journey,  Perrier  Pass.  I  had 
no  reason  to  doubt  their  assurances,  and  afterward 
learned  that  one  of  them  went  through  to  the  mission 
without  stopping,  in  spite  of  a  furious  gale  which  was 
raging  on  the  Dayay  and  Chilkoot  Inlets. 


m  ■ 


iT':*!. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ALONG  THE   LAKES. 

larf^e  lake  near  the  head 
ol'  the  Yukon  I  named  in 
honor  of  Dr.  Lindenian, 
of  tlie  Bremen  Geogrujilii- 
cal  Society.  Tlie  country 
IN  A  sTouM  ON  THE  LAKKs.  thus   far,  iucluding   the 

lake,  had  already  received  a  most  thorough  exploration  at 
the  hands  of  T)r.  Aurel  Krause  and  Dr.  Arthur  Krause, 
two  German  scientists,  heretofore  sent  out  by  the  above 
named  society,  but  I  w^as  not  aware  of  the  fact  at  that 
time.  Looking  out  upon  Lake  Lindeman  a  most  beauti- 
ful Alpine-like  sheet  of  water  was  presented  to  our  view. 
The  scene  was  made  more  picturesque  by  the  mountain 
creek,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  over  which  a  green 
willow  tree  was  supposed  to  do  duty  as  a  foot-log.  My 
first  attempt  to  pass  over  this  tree  caused  it  to  sink  down 
into  the  rushing  waters  and  was  much  more  interesting 
to  the  spectators  than  to  me.  Lake  Lindeman  is  about 
ten  miles  long,  and  from  one  to  one  and  a-lialf  wide,  and 
in  appearance  is  not  unlike  a  portion  of  one  of  the  broad 
inland  passages  of  south-eastern  Alaska  already 
described.  Fish  were  absent  from  these  glacier-fed 
streams  and  lakes,  or  at  least  they  were  not  to  be  enticed 
by  any  of  the  standard  allurements  of  the  fishermen's 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


01 


11 


wiles,  but  we  managed  to  kill  a  few  dusky  grouse  and 
green-winged  teal  ducks  to  vary  the  usual  government 
ration ;  though  all  were  tough  beyond  measure,  it  being 
so  near  their  breeding  season. 

Over  the  lake,  on  quiet  days,  were  seen  many  gulls, 
and  the  graceful  little  Arctic  tern,  which  I  recognized  as 
an  old  companion  on  the  Atlantic  side.  A  ramble  among 
the  woods  next  day  to  search  for  raft  timber  revealed  a 
number  of  bear,  caribou  and  other  game  tracks,  but 
nothing  could  be  seen  of  their  authors.  A  small  liock 
of  pretty  harlequin  ducks  gave  us  a  long  but  unsuccess- 
ful shot.  The  lakes  of  the  interior,  of  which  there  were 
many,  bordered  by  swampy  tracts,  supplied  Roth,  our 
cook,  with  a  couple  of  green- winged  teal,  duck  and  drake, 
as  the  reward  of  a  late  evening  stroll,  for,  as  I  have  said, 
it  was  light  enough  at  midnight  to  allow  us  to  shoot,  at 
any  rate  with  a  shot-gun. 

While  the  lakes  were  in  many  places  bordered  with 
swampy  tracts,  the  land  away  from  them  was  quite  pas- 
sable for  walking,  the  great  obstacle  being  the  large 
amount  of  fallen  timber  that  covered  the  ground  in  all 
directions.  The  area  of  bog,  ubiquitous  beyond  the 
Kotusk  range,  was  now  confined  to  the  shores  of  the  lakes 
and  to  streams  emerging  from  or  emptying  into  them, 
and  while  these  were  numerous  enough  to  a  person  desir- 
ing to  hold  a  straight  course  for  a  considerable  distance, 
the  walking  was  bearable  compared  with  previous  experi- 
ence. 

Two  of  the  Tvlili-'^''',esli or  "  Stick"  Indians,  who  had 
come  with  us  as  pack<  rs,  had  stored  away  in  this  vicinity 
under  the  willows  oi  the  lake's  beach,  a  couple  of  the 
most  dilapidated  Igoking  craft  that  ever  were  seen.    To 


I 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  USSO 

(716)  S72-4S03 


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92 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVKR. 


call  them  canoes,  indeed,  was  a  strain  upon  our  con- 
sciences. The  only  theory  to  account  for  their  keeping 
afloat  at  all  was  that  of  the  Irishman  in  the  story,  "  that 
for  every  hole  where  the  water  could  come  in  there  were 
a  half  a  dozen  where  it  could  run  out."  These  canoes  are 
made  of  a  species  of  poplar,  and  are  generally  called 
"  Cottonwood  canoes;"  and  as  the  trees  from  which  they 
are  made  are  not  very  large,  the  material  "  runs  out"  so 
to  speak,  along  the  waist  or  middle  of  the  canoe,  where  a 
greater  quantity  is  required  to  reach  around,  and  this 
deficiency  is  made  up  by  substituting  batten-like  strips  of 
tliin  wood  tacked  or  sewed  on  as  gunwales,  and  calking 
the  crevices  well  with  gum.  At  bow  and  stern  some  rude 
attempt  is  made  to  warp  them  into  canoe  lines,  and  in 
doing  this  many  cracks  are  developed,  all  of  which  are 
smeared  with  spruce  gum.  The  thin  bottom  is  a  perfect 
■rridiron  of  slits,  all  closed  with  gum,  and  the  proportion 
of  gum  increases  with  the  canoe's  age.  These  were  the 
fragile  craft  that  were  brought  to  me  with  a  tender  to 
transport  my  effects  (nearly  three  tons  besides  the^er- 
soiinel  of  the  expedition)  almost  the  vvliole  length  of  the 
lake,  fully  seven  or  eight  miles,  and  the  owners  had  the 
assurance  to  offer  to  do  it  in  two  days.  I  had  no  idea 
how  far  it  was  to  the  northern  end  or  outlet  of  Lake 
Lindeman,  as  I  had  spent  too  many  years  of  my  life 
among  Indians  to  attempt  to  deduce  even  an  approxi- 
mate estimate  from  the  assurances  of  the  two  *'  Sticks  " 
that  " it  was  just  around  the  point  of  land"  to  which 
they  pointed  and  which  may  have  been  four  or  five  miles 
distant.  I  gave  them,  however,  a  couple  of  loads  of 
material  that  could  be  lost  without  serious  damage, 
weighing  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  pounds,  and  as 


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ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


OS 


I  did  not  know  the  length  of  the  lake  I  thonght  I  would 
await  their  return  before  attempting  further  progress. 
Even  if  they  could  accomplish  the  bargain  in  double  the 
time  they  proposed  I  was  quite  willing  to  let  them  pro- 
ceed, as  I  understood  the  outlet  of  the  lake  was  a  narrow 
river  full  of  cascades  and'rocks  through  which,  according 
to  Indian  reports,  no  raft  of  more  than  a  few  logs  could 
possibly  float.  I  did  not  feel  disposed  to  build  a  coujile 
of  such  cumbersome  craft  to  traverse  so  short  a  distance. 
A  southern  gale  setting  in  shortly  after  their  departure, 
with  waves  running  on  the  lake  a  foot  or  two  high,  v.as 
too  terrible  a  storm  for  the  rickety  little  boats,  and  we 
did  not  see  any  thing  of  them  or  their  owners  until  three 
days  later,  when  the  men  came  creeping  back  overland — 
the  gale  still  raging — to  explain  matters  which  required 
no  explanation. 

In  the  meantime,  having  surmised  the  failure  of  our 
Indian  contractors,  the  best  logs  available,  which  were 
rather  small  ones  of  stunted  spruce  and  contorted  pine, 
had  been  floated  down  the  little  stream  and  had  been 
tracked  up  and  down  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and 
a  raft  made  of  the  somewhat  formidable  dimensions  of 
fifteen  by  thirty  feet,  with  an  elevated  deck  amidships. 
The  rope  lashings  used  on  the  loads  of  the  Indian  pack- 
ers were  put  to  duty  in  binding  the  logs  together,  but 
the  greatest  reliance  was  placed  in  stout  wooden  pins 
which  united  them  by  auger  holes  bored  through  boi^'i , 
the  logs  being  cut  or  "saddled  out"  where  they  joined, 
as  is  done  at  the  corners  of  log  cabins.  A  deck  was  made 
on  the  corduroy  plan  of  light  seasoned  pine  poles,  and 
high  enough  to  prevent  ordinary  sized  waves  from  wetting 
the  effects,  while  a  pole  was  rigged  by  mortising  it  into 


'  I 


;i 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVER. 

one  of  the  central  logs  ut  the  bottom  and  supporting  it 
by  four  guy  roi)es  from  the  toj),  and  from  this  was  sus- 
l)ended  a  wall  tent  as  a  sail,  tlie  ridge  pole  being  the  yard 
arm,  with  tackling  arranged  to  raise  and  lower  it.  A 
large  bow  and  stei'u  oar  with  which  to  do  the  steei'ing 
completed  the  rud(5  craft.  On  the  evening  of  the  14th  of 
June  the  raft  was  finished,  when  we  found  that,  as  a 
number  of  us  had  surmised,  it  was  not  of  suliicient  buoy- 
ancy to  liold  all  our  effects  as  well  as  the  whole  l)arty  of 
whites  and  natives. 

The  next  day  only  three  white  men,  Mr.  Homan,  Mr. 
Mcintosh  and  Corporal  Shirclifl',  Avere  i)laced  in  charge. 
About  half  the  stores  were  put  on  the  deck,  the  raft 
swung  by  rojjcs  into  the  swift  current  of  the  stream  so  as 
to  float  it  well  out  into  the  lake,  and  as  the  rude  sail 
was  spread  to  the  increasing  wind,  the  i»iimitive  craft 
commenced  a  journey  that  was  destined  to  measure  over 
thirteen  hundred  miles  before  the  rough  ribs  of  knots 
and  bark  were  laid  to  rest  on  the  great  river,  neai'^y  half 
a  thousand  miles  of  whose  secrets  were  given  up  to  geo- 
graphical science  through  the  medium  of  her  staunch  and 
trusty  bones.  As  she  slowly  obeyed  hei"  motive  power, 
the  wind  began  blowing  hardei-  and  haider,  nntil  the 
craft  was  pitching  like  a,  v(»ssel  laboring  in  an  ocean 
storm  ;  but  despite  this  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  saw 
her  rough  journey  across  the  angry  lake  safely  com- 
pleted, and  this  without  any  damage  to  her  load  worth 
noticing.  The  three  men  had  had  an  extremely  hard 
time  of  it,  and  had  been  compelled  to  take  down  their 
wall  tent  sail,  for  when  this  was  lashed  down  over  the 
stores  on  the  de(!k  to  ])ro^ect  them  from  the  deluge  of 
Hying  spray  breaking  ujd  over  the  stern  there  was  ample 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


surface  presented  to  the  furious  gale  to  drive  tliem  along 
at  a  good  round  pace,  especially  when  iK'ar  the  bold 
rocky  shores,  where  all  their  vigilance  and  iniisch^  were 
needed  to  keep  them  from  being  dashed  to  pieces  in  the 
rolling  breakers.  They  had  started  with  a  half  dozen  or 
so  good  stout  poles,  but  in  using  them  over  the  rocks  on 
the  bottom  one  would  occasionally  cramp  bet\v<'en  a 
couple  of  submerged  stones  and  be  wrested  violently 
from  their  hands  as  the  raft  swex>t  swiftly  by  before  it 
could  be  extricated.  The  remainder  of  the  person  iid, 
white  and  native,  scrambled  over  the  rough  precipitous 
mountain  spurs  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake,  wading 
through  bog  and  tangled  underbrush,  then  up  steep 
slippery  granite  rocks  on  to  the  ridge  tops  bristling  with 
fallen  burned  timber,  or  occasionally  steadying  themselves 
on  some  slight  log  that  crossed  a  deep  canon,  whose  bed 
held  a  rushing  stream  where  nothing  less  than  a  trout 
could  live  for  a  minute,  the  one  common  suffering  every 
where  being  from  the  mosquitoes.  The  rest  of  the  stores 
not  taken  on  the  raft  found  their  way  along  slowly  by 
means  of  the  twc  dilapidated  canoes,  previously  described, 
in  the  hands  of  our  own  Indians. 

As  we  neared  Camp  7,  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Linde- 
man,  on  the  overland  trail  we  occasionally  met  with  little 
openings  that  might  be  described  by  an  imaginative  per- 
son aspj'airies,  and  for  long  stretches,  that  is,  two  and 
three  hundred  yards,  the  walking  would  really  be  pleas- 
ant. 

An  inspection  of  the  locality  showed  that  the  lake  we 
had  just  passed  was  drained  by  a  small  river  averaging 
from  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  in  width  and  a  little  over  a 
mile  long.     It  was  for  nearly  the  whole  length  a  repeti- 


^1 


m 


_  ^mimmfHiwm'.- 


m 


ALOXG  ALA.Sh'A'S  UUKAT  lilVKH. 


w 


t 


tion  of  shtillow  riipids,  slioals,  cascades,  ufjly-lookin^ 
bowlders,  bars  and  network  of  drift-timber.  At  about 
the  middle  of  its  course  the  worst  cascade  was  si)lit  by  a 
huge  projecting  bowlder,  just  at  a  sudden  bend  of  tlie 
sti'eam,  and  either  channel  was  barely  large  enough  to 
allow  the  laft  to  pass  if  it  came  end  on,  and  renuiined  so 
while  going  through,  otherwise  it  would  be  sure  to  jam. 
Through  this  narrow  chute  of  water  the  raft  was  "shot  " 
the  next  day — June  KJth — and  although  our  jiredictions 
were  verilied  at  this  cascade,  a  few  minutes'  energetic 
work  sufliced  to  clear  it,  with  the  loss  of  a  side-log  or 
two,  and  all  were  glad  to  see  it  towed  and  anchored 
alongside  the  gravelly  beach  on  the  new  lake,  with  so 
little  danuige  received.  Here  we  at  once  commenced 
enlarging  its  dimensions  on  a  scale  commensurate  with 
the  carrying  of  our  entire  load,  both  personnel  and 
materiel.  Around  this  unnavigable  and  short  river  the 
Indian  packers  and  traders  portage  their  goods  when 
mnking  their  way  into  the  interior,  there  being  a  good 
trail  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  stream,  which,  barring  a 
few  sandy  stretches,  connects  the  two  lakes.  I  called 
these  rapids  and  the  portage  Payer  Portage,  after 
Lieutenant  Payer,  of  the  Aiistro-Hungarian  expedition 
of  1872-74. 

]3y  the  17th  of  June,  at  midnight,  it  was  light  enough 
to  read  print,  of  the  size  of  that  before  my  readers,  and 
so  continued  thi-oughout  the  month,  except  on  very 
cloudy  nights.  Many  bands  of  pretty  harlequin  ducks 
were  noticed  in  the  Payer  Rapids,  which  seemed  to  be 
their  favorite  resort,  the  birds  rarely  appearing  in  the 
Inkes,  and  always  near  the  point  at  which  some  swift 
stream  entered  the  smoother  water,    Black  and  brown 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


99 


bears  and  caribou  tracks  were  seen  in  the  valley  of  a 
.small  stream  that  here  came  in  from  thr  west.  This 
valley  was  a  most  picturestiue  one  as  viewed  from  the 
Payer  Portage  looking  westward,  and  was  quite  typical 
of  the  little  Alpine  valleys  of  this  hx'ality.  I  named  it 
after  Mr,  Homan,  the  topographer  of  the  exju'dilion. 
We  were  quite  fortunate  in  linding  a  number  of  fnllen 
logs,  sound  and  seasoned,  which  were  much  larger  than 
any  in  our  raft,  the  only  trouble  being  thtit  tlieywei'e 
not  long  enough.  All  of  the  large  trees  tajxM'ed  rnpidly, 
and  at  the  height  of  twenty  or  twenty-live  feet  a  tree 
was  reduced  to  the  size  of  the  lai-gest  of  its  nunun-- 
ous  limbs,  so  that  it  did  not  offer  surface  enough 
at  the  small  end  to  use  with  safety  as  the  side-log  or 
bottom-log  of  a  well-constructed  craft.  We  soon  had  a 
goodly  number  of  them  sawed  in  proper  lengths,  or,  at 
any  rate,  as  long  as  we  could  get  them,  their  numerous 
limbs  luicked  olf,  and  then,  with  much  labor,  we  made 
log-ways  through  the  brush  and  network  of  trunks,  by 
means  of  which  we  plunged  them  into  the  swift  river 
when  they  were  Hoated  down  to  the  raffs  position.  One 
of  the  delights  of  this  raft-making  was  our  having  to 
stand  a  greater  part  of  the  day  in  ice- water  just  olf  tlu^ 
mountain  tops,  and  in  strange  contrast  Avith  this  annoy- 
ance, the  mosquitoes  would  come  buzzing  around  and 
making  work  almost  impossible  by  their  attacks  upon 
our  heads,  while  at  the  same  time  our  feet  would  be 
freezing.  When  the  larger  logs  were  secured,  they  were 
built  into  the  raft  on  a  plan  of  fifteen  by  forty  feet ;  but, 
taking  into  account  the  projections  outside  of  the  corner 
pins,  the  actual  dimensions  were  sixteen  by  forty-two. 
These  were  never  afterward  changed. 


ii    r! 


.i' 


Kill 


Al.OXa  ALASKA'S  CUE  AT  UIVKR. 


'Vwo  cleviiti'd  (Ifcks  wjTc  now  coTistructcd,  sopnratod 
l)y  ti  lower  «'«'iiti!il  space,  wIuto  two  cimiht'rsoiiic  oars 
mii^ht  Im;  rigi^cd,  that  made  it  ijossihle  to  row  the  jionder- 
ous  craft  at  tins  rat«;  of  lu'arly  a  mile  an  lioiir,  and  these 
side-ciars  wei-e  afterward  used  quite  often  to  reacli  sonu^ 
(•ainpini;  plact?  on  tiie  bearii  of  a  lako  wiien  the  wind  had 
failed  us  or  set  in  ahead.  The  bow  and  stern  steering- 
oars  were  still  retained,  and  we  thus  had  suiplus  oars 
for  either  service,  in  case  of  accident,  for  the  two  services 
wer(3  never  eini)loyed  at  onc(;  umh'r  any  circumstances. 
There  was  only  om;  fault  with  the  new  construction,  and 
that  was  that  none  of  the  logs  extended  the  whole  length 
of  the  raft,  and  tlie  affair  rathei-  resembled  a  i)air  of 
rafts,  slightly  dove-tailed  at  the  point  of  union,  than  a 
single  raft  of  substantial  build. 

Th(.'  new  lake  on  which  we  found  ourselves  was  named 
Lake  Bennett,  after  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett,  a  w«'ll- 
known  patron  of  American  geographical  research.  AVhile 
we  were  here  a  couple  of  canoes  of  the  same  dila])idated 
kind  as  those  we  saw  on  Lake  Lindeman  came  down 
Lake  l^ennett,  holding  twice  as  many  Tahk-heesh  Lidians 
who  begged  for  work,  and  whom  we  put  to  use  in 
vaiious  ways.  I  noticed  that  one  of  them  stammered 
considerably,  the  first  Indian  I  ever  met  with  an  imj)edi- 
ment  in  his  speech. 

Among  myCHiilkat  i)ackers  I  also  noticed  one  that 
Avas  deaf  and  dumb,  and  several  who  were  afflicted  with 
cataract  in  the  eye,  but  none  were  affected  with  the  lat- 
ter disease  to  the  extent  I  had  observed  among  the  Es- 
kimo, with  whom  I  believe  it  is  caused  by  repeated  at- 
tacks of  snow-blindness. 

On  the  summits  of  high  mountains  to  the  right,  or 


6 
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! 


^1 


AIA)K(i  Tin-:  LAKES. 


109 


I'iistw.'iid  of  Luke  I5t'MiH'tt,  w«'h»  flir  famllinr  l)liU'-i<'o 
^liu'icis,  but  in  chariniu^'  irlid'  to  Ihrsc  uric  flic  icd 
rocks  and  ri<l,uc.s  thai  iirotiiuh'd  amid  them.  Specimens 
<(!'  rocks  very  simihir  in  ('()h>r  wcic  I'onnd  on  tlic  laivo 
l)ca<'ii  and  in  tiic  terminal  moraines  of  the  lilth'  ^kiciers 
tiiat  came  down  the  ^nlclies,  and  these  liavin^^  shown 
iron  as  tlieir  colorinu"  matter,  J  ^ave  to  tliis  bold  lange 
the  name  of  the  Iron-ciippcd  Mountains. 

On  the  mornini,^  of  the  ItMh  of  .hine  the  <'onsti'iH'tors 
reported  that  their  work  •  is  done,  and  the  laft  was  im- 
mediately lianle<l  in  clos«>i'  i  >  shun*,  the  load  ]>iit  on  and 
carefnlly  adjusted  with  rej'erein'c  to  an  e(piitabie  uei^lit, 
the  bow  and  stern  iines  cast  loose,  and  after  rowiiii^ 
throunh  a  winding,-  chanu'l  to  p't  past  the  shallow  mnd- 
llats  deposited  by  tlu^  two  streams  which  emptied  them- 
selves near  hei-e,  the  old  wall  tent  was  auain  spread  from 
its  ridiiie-pole,  lashed  to  the  to])  of  the  rude  mast,  and 
oui"  joui'iiey  was  resumed. 

Tin;  scenery  alony-  this  part  of  Lake  Bennett  is  v(»ry 
much  like  the  inland  ])assa,ues  of  Alaska,  except  that 
then;  is  much  less  timber  on  the  hills. 

Iliad  started  with  four  Chilkat  Indians,  who  were  to 
go  ovor  the  whole  length  of  the  Ynkon  with  me.  0\w 
of  them  was  always  ('omi)laining  of  severe  illm^ss,  with 
such  :i  wonderful  adaptation  to  the  amount  of  labor  on 
hand  that  I  discharged  him  at  Lake  Bennett  as  the  only 
method  of  bn'aking  up  tin;  coincich'iice.  The  best  work- 
man among  them  discharged  himself  by  disappearing  with 
a  hatchet  and  an  ax,  and  I  was  left  with  but  two,  neither 
of  whom,  ])roperly  speaking,  could  be  called  a  Chilkat  In- 
dian ;  in  fact  one  was  ji  half-breed  Tlinkit  interpreter, 
"  Billy  "  Dickinson  by  name,  whose  mother  had  been  a 


JJ 


:'ti 


0k 
J* 


i!t- 


-If 

■  (I 

I     >4 


104 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


J  ■''  S ! 


I:i 


i'H: 


^ijil 


Tsimpsean  Indian  Avonian  and  whose  father  kept  the 
store  of  the  North-west  Trading  Company  in  Chilkat 
Inhet.  "  Billy,"  as  we  always  called  him,  was  a  rather 
good-looking  young  fellow  of  about  twenty-five  years, 
who  understood  the  Tlinkit  language  thoroughly,  but 
had  the  fault  of  nearly  all  interpreters  of  mixed  blood, 
that  when  called  on  for  duty  he  considered  himself  as 
one  of  the  high  contracting  parties  to  the  bargain  to  be 
made  ;  a  sort  of  agent  instead  of  an  interpreter,  and  being 
a  wondei'f  ully  poor  agent  he  became  still  worse  as  an 
interpreter.  He  was  as  strong  as  two  or  three  or- 
dinary men  of  his  build  and  in  any  sort  of  an  emergency 
with  a  sprinkle  of  dangerous  excitement  about  it  he  jiut 
all  his  strength  to  use  and  proved  invaluable,  but  in  the 
hum-drum,  monotonous  work  of  the  trip,  such  as  the 
steering  of  the  raft  or  other  continuous  labor,  his  Indian 
nature  came  to  the  front,  and  he  did  every  thing  in  the 
world  on  the  outskirts  of  the  work  required,  but  would 
not  be  brought  down  to  the  main  issue  until  compelled 
to  do  so  by  the  api)lication  of  strong  language.  Our 
other  native  companion  was  named  Tiidianiie,  a  Chilkat 
Tahk-heesh  Indian,  whose  familiarity  with  the  latter 
language,  through  his  mother,  a  Tahk-heesh  squaw, 
made  him  invaluable  to  us  as  an  interi)reter  while  in  the 
country  of  this  tribe,  which  stretches  to  the  site  of 
old  Fort  Selkirk  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly  River. 
Physically,  Indianne  was  not  all  that  might  be  required 
in  an  Indian,  for  they  are  generally  supposed  to  do  twice 
as  much  out-of-door  work  as  a  white  man.  but  he  was 
well  past  fifty  years  and  such  activity  was  hardly  to  be 
expected  of  him.  Besides  being  a  Tahk-heesh,  or  Stick 
interpjreter,  he  was  fairly  familiar  with  the  ground  as  a 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


105 


p:iiitle,  having  traveled  over  parts  of  it  much  oftener 
tlian  most  Indians,  owing  to  tlie  demand  for  his  services 
as  an  interpreter  among  the  Sticlvs.  Througli  tlie  medium 
of  our  two  interpreters,  and  tlie  Ivnowledge  found  in  each 
tribe  of  the  hinguage  of  tlieir  neighbors,  we  managed  to 
get  along  on  the  river  until  English  and  Russian  were 
again  encountered,  althongh  we  occasionally  had  to  nse 
four  or  five  interpreteis  at  once. 

There  was  a  fair  wind  in  our  favor  as  we  started,  but 
it  was  a(!companied  with  a  disagreeable  nun  wliich  made 
things  very  unpleasant,  as  we  luid  no  sign  of  a  cover  on 
our  open  boat,  nor  could  we  raise  one  in  a  strong  wind. 
Under  this  wind  we  made  about  a  mile  and  a  half  an 
hour,  and  as  it  kept  slowly  increasing  we  dashed  along 
at  the  noble  rate  of  two  or  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour. 
This  increasing  wind,  however,  also  had  its  disadvant- 
ages, for  on  long,  unprotected  stretches  of  the  lake  the 
water  was  swelling  into  waves  that  gave  us  no  small 
apprehension  for  our  vessel.  Not  that  we  feared  she 
might  strike  a  rock,  or  spring  a  leak,  but  that  in  her 
peculiar  explorations  she  might  spread  herself  over  the 
lake,  and  her  crew  and  cargo  over  its  bottom.  By  three 
in  the  afternoon  the  waves  were  dashing  high  over  the 
stern,  and  the  raft  having  no  logs  running  its  entire  length, 
was  working  in  the  center  like  an  accordion,  and  with  as 
much  distraction  to  us.  Still  it  was  important  to  take 
advantage  of  every  possible  breath  of  wind  in  the  right 
direction  while  on  the  lakes ;  and  we  held  the  raft 
rigidly  to  the  north  for  about  two  hours  longer,  at  which 
time  a  perfect  hurricane  was  howling,  the  high  waves 
sweeping  the  rowing  space  so  that  no  one  could  stand  on 
his  feet  in  that  part,  much  less  sit  down  to  the  oars,  and 


ill 


;,,^v9Mrf<i[<*lt»#*«»>»V- 


m 


:  li  ■  ■  ' 


,)     'J 


106 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


as  a  few  of  tlie  faitlif ul  pins  commenced  snapping,  we 
headed  the  vessel  for  tlie  eastei'n  shore  at  as  sharp  an 
angle  as  it  was  j^ossible  to  make  running  before  the 
wind,  and  which  1  do  not  think  was  over  two  points 
of  the  compass,  equal  to  an  angle  of  about  twenty 
degrees. 

This  course  brought  us  in  time  to  a  rough,  rocky  beach 
sti'<'wn  with  big  bowlders  along  the  water's  edge,  over 
which  the  waves  Avere  dashing  in  a  boiling  sheet  of  Avater 
that  looked  threatening  enough ;  but  a  line  was  gotten 
ashoi'e  through  the  surf  with  the  aid  of  a.  canoe,  and 
while  a  number  of  the  crew  kept  the  raft  off  the  rocks 
with  poles,  the  remainder  of  the  putty  tracked  it  back 
about  a  half  a  mile  along  the  slippery  stones  of  the 
b«>acli,  to  a  crescent-shaped  cove  sheltered  from  the 
waves  and  wind,  where  it  was  anchored  near  the  beach. 
We  at  once  began  looking  around  for  a  sufficient  number 
of  long  logs  to  run  the  whole  length  of  the  raft,  a  search 
in  which  we  were  conspicuously  successful,  for  the  tim- 
ber skirting  the  little  cove  was  the  largest  and  best 
adaj^ted  for  raft  repairing  of  any  we  saw  for  many 
hundred  miles  along  the  lakes.  Four  quite  large  trees 
were  found,  and  all  the  next  day,  the  20th,  was  occu- 
I)ied  in  cutting  them  down,  clearing  a  way  for  them 
tlirough  the  timber  to  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  prying, 
pulling,  and  pushing  them  there,  and  then  incorporating 
them  into  the  raft.  Two  were  used  for  the  side  logs  and 
two  for  the  center,  and  when  we  had  finished  our  task  it 
was  evident  that  a  much  needed  improvement  had  been 
made.  It  was  just  made  in  time,  too,  for  many  of  our 
tools  were  rapidly  going  to  pieces  ;  the  last  auger  had 
slipped  the  nut  that  held  it  in  the  handle,  so  that  it 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


107 


conki  not  be  withdrawn  from  the  logs  to  clear  it  of  the 
shavings,  but  a  small  hand-vise  was  firmly  screwed  on  as 
a  substitute,  and  this  too  lost  its  hold  and  fell  overboard 
on  the  outer  edge  of  the  raft  in  eight  or  ten  feet  of 
water,  and  ice- water  at  that.  A  magnet  of  fair  size  was 
lashed  on  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  and  we  fished  for  the 
invisible  implement,  but  without  avail.  "Billy"  Dick- 
inson, our  half-breed  Chilkat  interpreter,  of  his  own 
free  will  and  accord,  then  stripped  himself  and  dived 
down  into  the  ice-cold  water  and  discovered  that  near 
the  spot  where  it  had  sunk  was  a  precipitous  bank 
of  an  unknown  depth,  down  which  it'  had  probably 
rolled,  otherwise  the  magnet  would  have  secured  it. 
Other  means  were  employed  and  we  got  along  with- 
out it. 

The  day  we  spent  in  repairing  the  raft  a  good,  strong, 
steady  wind  from  the  south  kept  us  all  day  in  a  state  of 
perfect  irritation  at  the  loss  of  so  much  good  motive 
power,  but  we  consoled  ourselves  by  observing  that  it 
did  us  one  service  at  least — no  mean  one,  however — in 
keeping  the  mosquitoes  quiet  during  our  labors. 

Across  Lake  Bennett  to  the  north-westward  was  a  very 
prominent  cape,  brought  out  in  bold  relief  by  the  valley 
of  a  picturesque  stream,  which  emptied  itself  just  beyond. 
I  called  it  Prejevalsky  Point  after  the  well-known  Rus- 
sian explorer,  while  the  stream  was  called  Wheaton 
River  after  Brevet  Major-General  Frank  Wheaton,  U.  S, 
Army,  at  the  time  commanding  the  Military  Department 
(of  the  Columbia)  in  which  Alaska  is  comprised,  and 
to  whose  efforts  and  generosity  the  ample  outfit  of  the 
expedition  was  due. 

On  the  21st  we  again  started  early,  with  a  good  br-eeze 


i|i 


'If 


■jj, 

'i'l 


.>„-j-'P»«t;-vmi;pB**«.^ 


108 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


behind  us  tliut  on  tlie  long  stretches  gave  us  quite  heavy 
seas,  which  tested  tlie  raft  very  tliorougldy,  and  witli  a 
result  much  to  our  satisfaction.  It  no  longer  confoi'nied  to 
the  surface  of  the  longswelling  waves,  but  remained  rigidly 
intact,  the  helmsman  at  the  steering  oar  getting  consider- 
ably si>laslied  as  a  consequence.  The  red  rocks  and 
ridges  of  the  ice-covered  mountain  tops  that  I  have  men- 
tioned linally  culminated  in  one  bold,  beetling  pinnacle, 
well  isolated  from  the  rest,  and  quite  noticeable  for 
many  miles  along  the  lake  from  either  direction.  This 
I  named  Richards'  Rock,  after  Vice-Admiral  Richards, 
of  the  Royal  Navy.  The  country  was  becoming  a  little 
more  open  as  we  neared  the  northern  end  of  Lake  Ben- 
nett, and,  indeed,  more  picturesque  in  its  relief  to  the 
monotonous  grandeur  of  the  mountain  scenery.  Lake 
Bennett  is  thirty  mil  s  long.  ^*  t  its  north- western  ex- 
tremity a  coujjle  of  streams  disembogue,  forming  a  wide, 
flat  and  conspicuous  valley  that,  as  we  approached  it,  we 
all  anticii)ated  would  prove  our  outlet.  Several  well 
marked  conical  buttes  spring  from  this  valley,  and  these 
with  the  distant  mountains  give  it  a  very  picturesque 
appearance,  its  largest  river  being  sixty  to  seventy-five 
yards  wide,  but  quite  shallow.  It  received  the  name  of 
AVatson  V^alley,  for  Professor  Sereno  Watson,  of  Har- 
vard Univ(M'sity. 

About  five  o'clock  the  northern  end  or  outlet  of  the 
Like  was  reached.  As  the  sail  was  lowered,  and  we 
ent(uvd  a  river  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  yards 
Avide,  and  started  forward  at  a  si)eed  of  three  or  four  miles 
an  hour — a  pace  which  seemed  ten  times  as  fast  as  our 
progi'ess  ui)on  the  lake,  since,  from  our  proximity  to  the 
slioi-e.  our  relative  motion  was  more  clearly  indicatK^d, 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


100 


our  spirits  asoendod,  and  the  prospects  of  our  future 
journey  when  we  should  be  rid  of  the  lakes  were  joy- 
fully discussed,  and  the  sub ject  was  not  exhausted  when 
we  grounded  and  ran  upon  a  mud  tiat  that  took  us  two 
hours  of  hard  work  to  get  clear  of.  This  short  stretch  of 
the  draining  river  of  Lake  Bennett,  nearly  two  miles 
long,  is  called  by  the  natives  of  the  country  "the  place 
where  the  caril)ou  cross,"  and  aj)pears  on  the  map  as 
Caribou  Crossing. 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  so  the  Tahk-heesh  In- 
dians say,  these  caribou — the  woodland  reindeer — pass 
over  this  i)art  of  the  river  in  large  numbers  in  their 
migrations  to  the  different  feeding  grounds,  supplied 
and  withdrawn  in  turn  by  the  changing  seasons,  and 
ford  its  wide  shallow  current,  passing  backward  and 
forward  through  Watson  Valley.  Unfortunately  for 
our  party  neither  of  these  crossings  occurred  at  this 
time  of  the  year,  although  a  dejected  camp  of  two  Tahk- 
heesh  families  not  far  away  f:om  ours  (No.  10)  had  a 
very  ancient  reindeer  ham  hanging  in  front  of  their 
brush  tent,  which,  however,  we  did  not  care  to  buy. 
The  numerous  tracks  of  the  animals,  some  apparently  as 
large  as  oxen,  confirmed  the  Indian  stories,  and  as  I 
looked  at  our  skeleton  game  score  and  our  provisions  of 
Government  bacon,  I  wished  sincerely  that  June  was  one 
of  the  months  of  the  reindeers'  migration,  and  the  121st 
or  22d  about  the  period  of  its  culmination. 

The  very  few  Indians  living  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try— the  "  Sticks" — subsist  mostly  on  these  animals  and 
on  mountain  goats,  with  now  and  then  a  wandering 
moose,  and  more  frequently  a  black  bear.  One  would 
exj)ect  to  find  such  followers  of  the  chase  the  very  har- 


i 


ir 


i'i 


I 


ii, 

■  i* 


W 


*ivmmw^*»>'- 


V 


%' 


? 


110 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  (J h'LAT  lilVtJR. 


(liest  of  all  Indians,  in  compliance  with  the  rule  that 
l)i'evails  in  most  countries,  by  which  the  huiit^'r  excels 
tiie  fisherman,  but  this  does  not  seem  to  be  the  case 
along  this  great  river.  Here,  indeed,  it  appears  that  the 
further  down  the  stream  the  Indian  lives,  and  the  more 
he  subsists  on  lish,  the  hardier,  the  more  robust,  the 
more  self -asserting  and  impudent  he  becomes. 

After  prying  our  raft  off  the  soft  mud  tiat  we  ngain 
spread  our  sail  for  the  beach  of  the  little  lake  and  went 
into  camp,  after  having  been  on  the  water  (or  in  it)  for 
over  thirteen  hours. 

The  country  was  now  decidedly  more  open,  and  it  was 
evident  that  we  were  getting  out  of  the  mountnins. 
Many  level  spots  appeared,  the  hills  were  less  steej)  and 
the  snow  was  melting  from  their  tops.  Pretty  wild  rose- 
blossoms  were  found  along  the  banks  of  the  beach,  with 
many  wild  onions  with  which  we  stuffed  the  wrought- 
iron  grouse  that  we  killed,  and  altogether  there  was  a 
general  change  of  verdure  for  the  better.  Tlu^re  were 
even  a  number  of  rheumatic  grasshoppers  which  feebly 
jumped  along  in  the  cold  Alpine  air,  as  if  to  tempt  us  to 
go  fishing,  in  remembrance  of  the  methods  of  our  boy- 
hood' s  days,  and  in  fact  e ver j^  thing  that  Ave  needed  for 
that  recreation  was  to  be  had  except  the  fish.  Although 
this  lake  (Lake  Nares,  after  Sir  George  Nares)  was  l)ut 
three  or  four  miles  long,  its  eastern  trend  delayed  us 
three  days  before  we  got  a  favorable  wind,  the  banks  not 
being  good  for  tracking  the  raft.  Our  old  friend,  the 
steady  summer  south  wind,  still  continued,  but  was  really 
a  hindrance  to  our  jirogress  on  an  eastern  course. 
Although  small,  Lake  Nares  was  one  of  the  prettiest  in 
the  lacustrine  chain,  owing  to  the  greater  openness  of 


ALONG  THE  LAKE'S. 


lU 


country  on  its  banks.  Grand  terraces  stretching  in 
bcautiriil  symmetry  along  each  side  of  the  lalve  plainly 
showed  its  ancient  levels,  these  terraces  reaching  nenrly 
to  the  lops  of  the  hills,  and  looking  as  if  some  huge 
i>iant  had  us<>d  them  as  stairways  over  the  mountains. 
Similar  hut  less  conspicuous  terraces  had  been  noticed 
on  the  northern  shoi'<'s  of  Lakt;  Bennett. 

Although  we  could  catch  no  iish  while  fishing  with 
bait  or  flies,  yet  a  number  of  trout  lines  put  out  over 
night  in  Lake  Nares  rewarded  us  with  a  large  salmon 
trout,  the  first  fish  we  had  caught  on  the  trip.  I  have 
spoken  of  the  delay  on  this  little  lake  on  account  of  its 
eastward  trend,  and  the  next  lake  kept  up  the  unfavor- 
able course,  and  we  did  not  gt't  off  this  short  eastern 
stretch  of  ten  or  lifteen  miles  for  five  or  six  days,  so 
batlling  was  the  wind.  Of  course,  these  protracted 
delays  gave  us  many  chances  for  rambles  around  the 
country,  some  of  which  we  improved. 

Everywhere  we  came  in  contact  with  the  grouse  of 
these  regions,  all  of  them  with  broods  of  varying  num- 
bers, and  while  the  little  chicks  went  scurrying  through 
the  grass  and  brush  in  search  of  a  hiding  place,  the  old 
ones  walked  along  in  front  of  the  intruder,  often  but  a 
few  feet  away,  seemingly  less  devoid  of  fear  than  the 
common  barn  fowls,  although  i^robably  they  had  never 
heard  a  shot  fired. 

The  Doctor  and  I  sat  down  to  rest  on  a  large  rock  with 
a  perturbed  mother  ,grouse  on  another  not  over  three 
yards  away,  and  we  could  inspect  her  plumage  and  study 
her  actions  as  well  as  if  she  had  been  in  a  cage.  The 
temptation  to  kill  them  was  very  great  aft  3r  having  been 
so  long  without  fresh  meat,  a  subsistence  the  appetite 


ll:i 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  JiJVh'n. 


■F.,.i 


»^' 


i^  ':■ 


,1  I 


loudly  (lenijiiids  in  the  rough  out-of-door  life  of  an 
explorci'.  A  mess  of  them  ruthlessly  destroyed  by  our 
Indian  hunters,  who  had  no  feais  of  the  game  law,  no 
siHU'tsman's  qualms  of  eonscienee,  nor  in  fact  ('onii)assion 
of  any  sort,  lowered  our  tlesire  to  zero,  for  they  were 
tougher  than  leather,  and  us  tasteless  as  shavings  ;  and 
after  that  lirst  mess  we  were  perfectly  willing  to  allow 
them  all  the  rights  guaranteed  by  the  game  laws  of  lower 

latitudes. 

Quite  a  number  of 
marmots  were  s(M^n  by 
our  Indians,  and  the 
hillsides  were  dotted 
with  their  holes.  The 
Indians  catch  them  for 
fur  and  food  (in  fact, 
every  thing  living  is 
used  by  the  Indians  for 
the  hitter  purpose)  l)y 
means  of  running 
nooses  put  over  their 
holes,  which  choke  the 
little  animal  to  death 

CABVE1>   PINS  POR   FASIENING   -MAU-        us    lie    trlcS    tO   qult   llls 

MOT  sNAKKs.  uuderground  home.     A 

finely  split  raven  quill,  running  the  whole  length  of 
the  rib  of  the  feather,  is  used  for  the  noose  proper, 
and  the  instant  this  is  sprung  it  closes  by  its  own 
flexibility.  The  rest  is  a  sinew  string  tied  to  a  bush 
near  the  hole  if  one  be  convenient,  otherwise  to  a 
peg  driven  in  the  ground.  Sometimes  they  employ  a  little 
of  the  large  amount  of  leisure  time  they  have  on  their 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


lis 


hands  in  cutting  tliese  pegs  into  fanciful  and  toteniic 
designs,  althougli  in  this  respect  the  Sticlis,  as  in  every 
tiling  else  pertaining  to  the  savage  arts,  are  usually  much 
inferior  to  the  Chilkatsin  these  displays,  and  the  illustra- 
tions give  on  page  112  are  characteristic  rather  of  1  he  lat  t  er 
tribe  than  of  the  former.  Nearly  all  the  blankets  of  this 
Tahk-heesh  tribe  of  Indians  are  made  f  i"om  these  marmot 
skins,  and  they  are  exceedingly  light  considering  their 
warmth.  Much  of  the  warmth,  however,  is  lost  by  the 
ventilated  condition  in  which  the  wearers  maintain  them, 
as  it  costs  labor  to  mend  them,  but  none  to  sit  around 
and  shiver. 

The  few  Tahk-heesh  who  had  been  camped  near  us  at 
Caribou  Crossing  suddenly  disappeared  the  night  after 
we  camped  on  the  little  lake,  and  as  our  "gum  canoe" 
that  we  towed  along  behind  the  laft  and  used  for  emer- 
gencies, faded  from  view  at  the  same  eclipse,  we  were 
forced  to  associate  the  events  together  and  set  tliese 
fellows  down  as  subject  to  kleptomania.  Nor  should  I 
be  too  severe  either,  for  the  canoe  had  been  picked  up  by 
us  on  Lake  Lindeman  as  a  vagrant,  and  it  certainly 
looked  the  character  in  every  respect,  therefore  wt^could 
not  show  the  clearest  title  in  the  world  to  the  dilapidated 
craft.  It  was  a  very  fortunate  circumstance  that  we  were 
not  worried  for  the  use  of  a  canoe  afterward  until  we 
could  purchase  a  substitute,  although  we  hardly  thought 
such  a  thing  possible  at  the  time,  so  much  had  we  used 
the  one  that  ran  away  with  our  friends. 

The  23d  of  June  we  got  across  the  little  lake  (Nares), 
the  wind  dying  down  as  we  went  through  its  short  drain- 
ing river,  having  made  only  three  miles. 

The  next  day,  the  24th,  the  wind  seemed  to  keep  swing- 


li:^ 


J 


Ill 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


ini?  iiroiiiul  in  a  circle,  uiul  altliou^li  W(;  mad*;  five  miles, 
I  think  we  made  as  many  landings,  so  often  did  tiie  wind 
fail  us  or  set  in  ahead. 

This  new  lake  I  called  after  Lieutenant  liove  of  the  Ital- 
ian navy.   Here  too,  the  mountainous  shores  were  carved 
into  a  series  of  terraces  rising  one  above  the  other,  which 
probably  indicated  the  ancient  beaches  of  the  lake  when 
its  outh^t  was  closed  at  a  much  higher  level  than  at 
present,  and  when  great  bodies  of  ice  on  their  surface 
plowed  up  the  beach  into  these  terraces.     This  new  lake 
was  nine  miles  long.      The  next  day  again  we  had  the 
same  light  with  a  battling  wind  from  half  past  six  in  the 
morning   until  after  nine  at  night,   nearly   seventeen 
hours,  but  we  managed  to  make  twelve  miles,  and  better 
than    all,  regain    our  old  course    pointing  northward. 
During  one  of  these  temporary  landings  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Bove  our  Indians  amused  themselves  in  wasting 
government  matches,  articles  which  they  had  never  seen 
in  such  profusion  before,  and  in  a  little  while  they  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  some  dead  and  fallen  spruce  trees   on 
fire,  and  these  communicating  to  the  living  ones  above 
tliera,  soon  sent  up  great  billows  of  dense  resinous  smoke 
that  must  have  been  visible  for  miles,  and  which  lasted 
for  a  number  of  minutes  after  we  had  left.  Before  camp- 
ing that  evening  we  could  see  a  very  distant  smoke,  appar- 
ently six  or  seven  miles  ahead,  but  really  ten  or  twenty, 
which  our  Indians  told  us  was  an  answering  smoke  to 
them,  the  Tahk-heesh,  who  kindled  the  second  fire,  evi- 
dently thinking  that  they  were  Chilkat  traders  in  their 
country,  this  being  a  frequent  signal  among  them  as  a 
means  of  announcing  their  approach,  when  engaged  in 
trading.     It  was  worthy  of  note  as  marking  the  exist- 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


115 


ence  of  this  primltivo  motliod  of  siyiuiliiif?,  so  common 
ununi^  soiiu'  of  tli«^  Indian  tribes  of  th»i  plains,  anions 
these  fai-olf  sava'^es,  but  I  was  unable  to  ascertain 
whether  they  carried  it  to  such  a  decree  of  intri- 
cacy with  respect  to  the  different  meanings  of  compound 
smokes  either  as  to  number  or  rehitiv<;  intervals  of  time 
or  spa(;e.  It  is  very  doul)tful  if  they  do,  as  the  necessity 
for  such  complex  signals  can  hardly  arise. 

This  new  lake  on  which  we  liad  taken  up  our  northward 
course,  and  which  i-s  about  eighteen  miles  long,  is  called 
by  the  Indians  of  the  country  Tahk-o  (each  lake  and 
connecting  length  of  river  has  a  different  name  with  them), 
iind,  I  understand,  recjeives  a  river  coming  in  from  the 
south,  which,  followed  up  to  one  of  its  sources,  gives  a 
mountain  pass  to  another  river  emptying  into  the  inland 
estuaries  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  is  said  by  the  Indians 
to  be  smaller  than  the  one  we  had  just  come  over,  and 
tlierefore  we  might  consider  that  we  were  on  the  Yukon 
jjroper  thus  far. 

Lake  Tahk-o  and  Lake  Bove  are  almost  a  single  sheet, 
separated  only  by  a  narrow  strait  formed  by  a  point  of 
remarkable  length  (Point  Perthes,  ...ter  Justus  Perthes 
of  Gotha),  which  juts  nearly  across  to  the  opposite  shore. 
It  is  almost  covered  Avith  limestones,  some  of  them 
almost  true  marble  in  their  whiteness,  a  circumstance 
which  gives  a  decided  hue  to  the  cape  even  when  seen  at 
a  distance. 

Leaving  the  raft  alongside  the  beach  of  Lake  Tahk-o  at 
our  only  camping  place  on  it  (Camp  No.  13),  a  short  stroll 
along  its  shores  revealed  a  great  number  of  long,  well- 
trimmed  logs  that  strongly  resembled  telegraph  poles, 
and  would  have  sold  for  those  necessary  nuisances  in  a 


'id' 

■  0 


ir 


\ 

if 

1 

j 

j 

1 

^M 

H 

llJi 

116 


Al.OSa  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


civilized  roiintry.  Tlioy  woro  linsilly  made  out  to  be 
tln'  lo^rs  iis(»d  I)}  tlio  Indians  in  raftiii'^down  the  str<'ani, 
and  wcll-triinnu'd  by  constant  attrition  on  the  rougii 
I'ocky  bcaclics  whilo  lidd  there  by  the  storms.  Most 
of  tlicse  were  observed  on  the  northern  shores  of  the 
lakes,  to  wliich  the  current  through  them,  sli^dit  as  it 
was,  coupled  with  the  prevailing  soutli  wind,  naturally 
drifts  them.     I  afterward  ascertained  that  rafting  was 


^^SrLJ'^j^^'i-^ 


LOOKING    ACROSS    I,AKE    150 VE    I'ROM     PJCRTHKS      I'OIM'. 

Field  Peak  in  tlic  far  distnnco.    (Niiincd  for  Hon.  David  Dudley  Field.) 

quite  a  usual  tiling  along  the  head  Avaters  of  the  Yukon, 
and  that  we  were  not  pioneers  in  this  rude  art  by  any 
means,  although  we  had  thought  so  from  the  direful 
l)rognostications  they  were  continually  making  as  to  our 
probable  success  with  our  own.  The  "cottonwood" 
canoes  already  referred  to  are  very  scarce,  there  prob- 
ably not  existing  over  ten  or  twelve  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  upper  river  as  far  as  old  Fort  Selkirk.  ^lany 
of  their  journeys  up  the  swift  stream  are  i^erformed 


ALONG  THE  LAKKS. 


117 


by  th(^  uativos  on  foot,  ranyiii^  llu'ir  liinitod  norossitics 
oil  tlu'ir  bjickH.  I'pon  tluir  n'tiini  ji  small  ral't  of  from 
two  to  nix  or  <»i;j;ht  lo.crs  is  inu*l»',  and  tlicy  lloat  down 
with  tlie  <'un'«»nl  ia  tli«}  streams,  and  jxtlc  and  sail 
across  tlie  Jalu's.  By  comparing  lln'so  l()«;s  with  tdr- 
f^rapli  poles  one  lias  a  ^ood  idea  of  the  nsiial  si/c  of  the 
timber  of  these  districts.  The  scaicity  of  ^-ood  wooden 
canoes  is  alsopartially  explained  by  this  smalliiess  of  the 
lo^^s;  while  birch  bark  canoes  are  nnknownon  the  Ynkon 
until  the  nei<;hb()rhood  of  old  F(>rt  Selkirk  is  i'eache<l. 
This  same  Lake  Tahk-o,  or  probably  some  lake  very 
near  it,  liad  been  reaclunl  by  ah  intrepid  nnner,  a  Mr. 
Byrnes,  then  in  the  employ  of  tlu^  Western  rni<m  Tele- 
graph Company.  Many  of  my  reach'rs  ar«^  ])robably 
not  acquainted  with  the  lact  that  this  c()r])oration,  at 
about  the  close  of  our  civil  war,  ccmceived  the  ^rand  idea. 
of  uniting  civilizati(m  in  the  eastern  and  western  conti- 
nents by  a  telegrapli  line  running  by  way  of  Bering's 
Straits,  and  that  a  great  deal  of  the  prelinnnai-y  sur- 
veys and  even  a  vast  amount  of  the  actual  woik  had 
been  completed  when  the  succ<»ss  of  the  Atlanti<^  cable 
put  a  stop  to  the  project.  Th(»  Yukon  liiver  had  b(>en 
carefully  exanuned  from  its  mouth  as  far  as  old  Fort 
Yukon  (then  a  flourishing  Hudson  Bay  Company  ])ost), 
some  one  thousand  miles  from  the  mouth,  and  even 
roughly  beyond,  in  their  interest,  althougli  it  had  pi-evi- 
ously  been  more  or  less  known  to  the  Ilussian-American 
and  Hudson  Bay  trading  companies,  ^fr.  Byrnes,  a 
practical  nnner  fnmi  the  Caribou  mines  of  British 
Columbia,  crossed  the  Tahk-o  Pass,  already  cited,  got  on 
one  rf  the  sources  of  the  Yukon,  and  as  near  as  can 
be  ma  "e  out,  descended  it  to  the  vicinity  of  the  lake 


(i 


f 


■\> 


i    'J 


m 


'  I  ,.n 


i!  '" 


i:  V,* 


m 


M;  I 


118 


ALONG  ALASKA  S  GREAT  RIVER. 


!  i! 


J: 


of  which  I  am  writing.  Here  it  appears  he  was  recalled 
by  a  courier  sent  on  liis  trail  and  disjiatchecl  by  the 
telegraph  company,  who  wei'e  now  mournfully  assist- 
ing in  the  jubilee  of  the  Atlantic  cable's  success,  and  he 
retraced  his  steps  over  the  river  and  lakes,  and  returned 
to  his  former  occupation  of  mining. 

Whet]M>r  he  ever  furnished  a  nuip  and  a  description  of 
his  journey,  so  that  it  could  be  called  an  exploration, 
I  do  not  know,  but  from  the  books  which  i^urjiort  to 
give  a  description  of  the  country  as  deduced  from  his 
travels,  I  should  say  not,  considering  their  great  inac- 
curacy. One  book,  noticing  his  travels,  iind  purx)orting 
to  be  a  faithful  record  of  the  telegraph  explorers  on  the 
American  side,  said  that  had  Mr.  Byrnes  continued  his 
trip  only  a  day  and  a  half  further  in  the  light  birch- 
bark  canoes  of  the  country,  he  would  have  reached  old 
Fort  Selkirk,  and  thus  completed  the  exploration  of  the 
Yukon.  Had  he  reached  the  site  of  old  Fort  Selkirk, 
he  certainly  would  have  had  the  credit,  had  he  recorded 
it,  however  rough  his  notes  may  have  been,  but  he 
would  never  have  done  so  in  the  light  birch-bark 
canoes  of  the  country,  for  the  conclusive  reason  that 
they  do  not  exist,  as  already  stated  ;  and  as  to  doing 
it  in  a  day  and  a  half,  our  measurements  from  Lake 
Tahk-o  to  Fort  Selkirk  show  nearly  four  hundred  and 
lifty  miles,  and  observations  proved  that  the  Indians 
seldom  exceed  a  journey  of  six  hours  in  their  cramped 
wooden  craft,  so  that  his  progress  would  necessarily 
have  demanded  a  speed  of  nearly  fifty  miles  an  hour. 
At  this  rate  of  canoeing  along  the  whole  :  Iver,  across 
Bering  Sea  and  up  the  Amoor  River,  the  telegraph  com- 
pany need  not  have  completed  their  line  along  this  part, 


i! 


!!■ 


IS  recalled 
3d  by  the 
11  y  assist- 
ss,  and  he 
1  returned 

ription  of 
:ploration, 
purport  to 

from  hi? 
ireiit  inac- 
)iirx)orting 
■ers  on  the 
tinned  his 
ght  birch- 
en died  old 
tion  of  the 
't  Selkirk, 
B  recorded 
n,  but  he 
;)irch-bark 
'ason  that 
;  to  doing 
rom  Lake 
idred  and 
le  Indians 
r  cramped 
lecessarily 

an  hour. 
*'er,  across 
raph  com- 

this  part, 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


Hi) 


but  might  simply  have  turned  their  dispatch  over  to 
these  rapid  couriers,  and  they  would  have  only  been  a 
few  hours  behind  the  telegraph  dispatch  if  it  had  been 
worked  as  slov.ly  a,;  it  is  now  in  the  interest  of  the 
public. 

AVe  passed  out  of  Lake  Tahko  a  little  after  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  2Gth  of  June,  and  entered  the 
first  considerable  stretch  of  river  that  we  luid  yet  met 
with  on  the  trip,  about  nine  miles  long.  AVe  (piitted  the 
riv.jr  at  five  o'clock,  which  was  quite  an  improvement 
on  our  lake  traveling  even  at  its  best.  The  first  i)art  of 
this  short  river  stretch  is  full  of  dangei'ous  I'ocks  and 
bowlders,  as  is  also  the  lower  portion  of  Tahko  Lake. 

On  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  about  four  miles  from 
the  entrance,  we  saw  a  tolerably  well-built  "Stick"' 
Indian  house.  Near  it  in  the  water  was  a  swamx)ed  Indian 
canoe  which  one  of  our  natives  bailed  out  in  a  manner 
as  novel  as  it  was  eltectual.  Grasping  it  on  one  side, 
and  about  the  center,  a  rocking  motion,  fore  and  aft,  was 
kept  up,  the  bailer  waiting  until  the  recurrent  wave  was 
just  striking  the  depressed  end  of  the  bo.'it,  and  as  this 
was  repeated  the  canoe  was  slowly  lifted  until  it  stood 
at  his  waist  with  not  enough  water  in  it  to  sink  an  oyster 
can.  This  occupied  a  space  of  time  not  much  greater 
than  it  has  taken  to  relate  it.  This  house  was  deserted, 
but  evidently  only  for  a  while,  as  a  great  deal  of  its 
owner's  material  of  the  chase  and  the  iishery  was  still 
to  be  seen  hanging  inside  on  the  rafters.  Among  these 
were  a  great  number  of  dried  salmon,  one  of  the  stajde 
articles  of  food  that  now  begin  to  appear  on  this  part  of 
the  great  river,  nearly  two  thousand  miles  from  its 
mouth.     This  salmon,  when  dried  before  putrefaction 


'iii 


y  '■  ' 


'I'  i 


n 


t! 


120 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


sets  in,  is  tolerable,  ranking  somewhere  between  Lim- 
burger  cheese  and  walrus  hide.  Collecting  some  of  it 
occasionally  from  Indian  fishermen  as  we  floated  by,  we 
wonld  use  it  as  a  Innch  in  homeopathic  quantities  until 
some  of  us  got  so  far  as  to  imagine  that  we  really  liked 
it.  If  smoked,  this  salmon  is  quite  good,  l)ut  by  far  the 
larger  amount  is  dried  in  the  open  air,  and,  Indian  like, 
the  best  is  first  served  and  soon  disappears. 

Floating  down  the  river,  and  coming  near  any  of  the 
low  marshy  points,  we  were  at  once  visited  by  myriads 
of  small  black  gnats  which  formed  a  very  unsolicited 
addition  to  the  millions  of  mosquitoes,  the  number  of 
which  did  not  diminish  in  the  least  as  we  descendcnl  the 
river.  The  only  protection  from  them  was  in  being  well 
out  from  land,  with  a  good  wind  blowing,  or  when  forced 
to  camp  on  shore  a  heavy  resinous  smoke  would  often 
disperse  a  large  part  of  them. 

When  we  caiuped  that  evening  on  die  new  lake  the 
signal  smoke  of  the  Tahk-heesh  Indians — if  it  was  one — 
was  still  burning,  at  least  some  six  or  seven  miles  ahead 
of  ns,  which  shoAved  how  much  we  had  been  mistaken  in 
estimating  its  distance  the  day  before.  A  tree  has  some- 
thing definite  in  its  size,  and  even  a  bntte  or  mountain 
peak  has  something  tangible  on  which  a  person  can  base  a 
calculation  for  distance,  but  whon  one  comes  doAvn  to  a 
distant  smoke  I  think  the  greatest  indefiniteness  has 
been  reached,  especially  when  one  wants  to  estimate  its 
distance.  I  had  often  observed  this  before,  when  on  the 
plains,  where  it  is  still  Avorse  than  in  a  hilly  country, 
where  one  can  at  least  perceive  that  the  smoke  is  beyond 
the  hill,  back  of  which  it  rises,  but  when  often  looking 
down  an  open  river  valley  no  such  indications  are  to  be 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


121 


had.  I  remember  w.ien  traveling  through  the  sand  hills 
oi  western  Nebraska  that  a  smoke  which  was  variously 
estimated  to  be  from  eight  to  twelve  or  possibly  iii'teen 
miles  away  took  iis  two  days'  long  traveling  in  an  arnn^ 
ambuljince,  making  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  a  day,  as 
the  winding  road  ran,  to  reach  its  site. 

The  shores  of  the  new  lake — wliich  I  named  Lake 
Marsh,  after  Professor  O.  0.  Marsh,  a  well-known 
scientist  of  our  country — was  composed  of  all  sizes  of 


LOOKIXG    SOrTIIWATID    FROM   CAMP    14   OX    LAKE    MARSH 

On  the  left  if  the  Tahko  Pass,  on  the  rijjht  the  Yukon  Pass  in  the  mountains,  dirortly 
over  the  point  of  land,  lietwcen  this  point  and  the  Yukon  Pass  can  be  seen  the  Yukon 
River  coming  into  the  lake. 

clay  stones  jumbled  together  in  confusion,  and  where  the 
water  had  reached  and  beat  upon  them  it  had  reduced 
them  to  a  sticky  clay  of  the  consistency  of  thick  mortar, 
not  at  all  easy  to  walk  through.  This  mire,  accompanied 
by  a  vast  quantity  of  mud  brought  down  by  the  streams 
that  emanated  from  grinding  ,<j:laciers,  and  which  could 
be  distinguished  by  the  whiter  color  and  impalpable 
character  of  its  ingredients,  nearly  hlled  the  new  lake, 
at  least  for  wide  strips  along  the  shores  Avliere  it  had 
been  driven  by  the  storms.     Although  drawing  a  little 


Ih'M' 


m 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GliEAT  lilVER. 


m 


vF 


it  ! 


l(?.ss  than  two  feet  of  water,  the  raft  struck  several  times 
at  distances  from  the  sliore  of  from  lifty  to  a  hundred 
yards,  and  the  only  alternative  was  to  wade  ashore  in 
our  rubl)er  boots  (the  soft  mud  being  deeper  than  the 
Avater  itself)  and  tie  tlie  raft  by  a  long-  line  whenever  we 
wanted  to  camp. 

One  night,  while  on  this  lake,  a  strong  inshore  breeze 
coming  up,  our  raft,  while  unloaded,  was  gradually 
lifted  by  the  incoming  high  waves,  and  brought  a  few 
inches  further  at  a  time,  until  a  number  of  yards  had 
been  made.  The  next  morning  when  loaded  and  sunk 
deep  into  the  mud,  the  work  we  had  to  pry  it  off  is  more 
easily  imagined  than  described,  but  it  taught  us  a  lesson 
that  we  took  to  heart,  and  thereafter  a  friendly  prod  or 
two  with  a  bar  was  generally  given  at  the  ends  of  the 
cumbersome  craft  to  pry  it  gradually  into  deeper  water 
as  the  load  slowly  Aveighed  it  down.  "When  the  wind 
was  blowing  vigorously  from  some  quarter — and  it  was 
only  when  it  was  blowing  that  v  could  set  sail  and 
make  any  progress — these  shallow  mud  banks  would 
tinge  the  water  over  them  Avitli  a  dirty  w^hite  color  that 
was  in  strong  contrast  witli  the  clear  blue  water  over  the 
deeper  portion,  and  by  closely  watching  this  well-defined 
line  of  demarcation  when  under  sail,  we  could  make  out 
the  most  favorable  points  at  which  to  reach  the  bank,  or 
ai)i)roach  it  as  nearly  as  possible.  This  clear-cut  outline 
between  the  whitened  water  within  its  exterior  edges 
and  the  deep  blue  Avater  beyond,  siioAved  in  many  places 
an  extension  of  the  deposits  of  from  four  hundred  to 
live  hundred  yards  from  the  beach.  It  is  probable  that 
the  areas  of  Avater  may  vary  in  Lake  Marsh  at  different 
seasons  sufficiently  to  lay  bare  these  mud  banks,  or  cover 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


123 


tliem  so  as  to  be  navigable  for  small  boats  ;  but  at  the 
time  of  our  visit  there  seemed  to  be  a  most  wonderful 
uniformity  in  the  depth  of  the  water  over  them  in  every 
part  of  the  lake,  it  being  about  eighteen  inches. 

Camping  on  the  lakes  was  generally  quite  an  easy 
affair.  There  was  always  plenty  of  wood,  and,  of  course, 
water  everywhere,  the  clear,  cold  mountain  springs 
occurring  every  few  hundred  yards  if  the  lake  water  was 
too  muddy  ;  so  that  about  all  that  we  needed  was  a  dry 
place  large  enough  to  pitch  a  couple  of  tents  for  the 
white  people  and  a  tent  liy  for  the  Indians,  but  simple 
as  the  latter  seemed,  it  was  very  often  quite  difficult  to 
obtain.  It  was  seldom  that  we  found  places  where  tent 
pins  could  be  driven  in  the  ground,  and  when  rocks 
large  enough  to  do  duty  as  pins,  or  fallen  timber  or 
brush  for  the  same  purpose  could  not  be  had,  we  gener- 
ally put  the  tent  under  us,  spread  our  blankets  upon  it, 
crawled  in  and  went  to  sleep.  The  greatest  comfort  in 
pitching  our  tent  was  in  keeping  out  the  mosquitoes,  for 
then  we  could  spread  our  mosqi.^to  bars  with  some  show 
of  success,  although  the  constantly  recurring  light  rains 
made  us  often  regret  that  we  had  made  a  bivouac,  not 
particularly  on  account  of  the  slight  wettings  we  got, 
but  because  of  our  constant  fear  that  the  rain  was  going 
to  be  much  worse  in  reality  than  it  ever  proved  to  be. 
I  defy  any  one  to  sleep  in  the  open  air  with  only  a 
blanket  or  two  over  him  and  have  a  great  black  cloud 
sprinkle  a  dozen  drops  of  rain  or  so  in  his  face  and  not 
imagine  the  deluge  was  coming  next.  I  have  tried  it  off 
and  on  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  have  not  got  over 
the  feeling  yet.  If,  after  camping,  a  storm  threatened, 
a  couple  of  stout  skids  were  placed  fore  and  aft  under 


ll 


I  ti 


n 

"in 


I  \-m 


■*msmmp^'' 


ta 


i 


i^ 


f '' 


r 


yi 


i; 


'I 


I    i 


I 


11 1; 


I, 
i 

.1; 


,1 


I: 

i  I 

( 


124 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


tlie  logs  of  tlie  raft  nearest  the  slioiv  to  prevent  tlieir 
breaking  off  as  they  biuni)ed  on  the  beach  in  tlie  waves 
of  the  surf,  a  monotonous  music  that  lulled  us  to  sleep 
on  many  a  stormy  night.  The  baggage  on  i  he  raft,  like 
that  in  an  army  wagon  or  upon  a  pack  train  of  mules,  in 
a  few  days  so  assorted  itself  that  the  part  necessary  for 
the  night's  camping  was  always  the  handiest,  and  but  a 
few  minutes  were  ri-cxuired  after  landing  until  the  even- 
ing meal  was  ready. 

So  imi)ortant  was  it  to  make  the  entire  length  of  the 
river  (over  2000  miles)  within  the  short  interval  between 
the  date  of  our  starting  and  the  probable  date  of  dei)art- 
ure  of  the  last  vessel  from  St.  Michaels,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  that  but  little  time  was  left  for  rambles 
through  the  country,  and  much  as  1  desired  to  t^'lie  a 
hunt  inland,  and  still  more  to  make  an  examination  of 
the  country  at  various  points  along  the  great  river,  I 
constantly  feared  that  by  so  doing  I  might  be  compro- 
mising our  chances  of  getting  out  of  the  country  before 
winter  should  effectually  foibid  it.  Therefore,  from  the 
very  start  it  was  one  constant  tight  against  time  to  avoid 
such  an  unwished  for  contingency,  and  thus  we  could 
avail  ourselves  of  but  few  opi)ortunities  for  exploring  the 
interior. 

On  the  28tli  of  June  a  fair  breeze  on  Lake  Marsh  con- 
tinuing past  sunset  (an  unusual  occurrence),  we  kept  on 
our  way  until  well  after  midnight  before  the  wind  died 
out.  At  midnight  it  was  light  enough  to  read  common 
print  and  I  spent  some  time  about  tlien  in  working  out 
certain  astronomical  observations.  Venus  was  the  only 
star  that  was  dimly  visible  in  the  unclouded  sky.  Lake 
Marsh  was  the  first  water  that  we  could  trust  in  which  to 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


125 


take  a  batli,  and  even  there — and  for  that  matter  it  was 
the  same  alon^^  the  entire  river — bathing  was  only  possi- 
ble on  still,  warm,  snnny  days. 

Below  old  Fort  ISelkirk  on  the  Yukon,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  AVhite  River  (so-called  on  account  of  its  white 
muddy  water),  bathing  is  almost  undesirable  on  account 
of  the  large  amount  of  sediment  contained  in  the  water  ; 
its  swift  current  allowing  it  to  hold  much  more  than  any 
river  of  the  western  slojDe  known  to  me,  while  its  muddy 
banks  furnish  a  ready  base  of  supplies.  Its  temperature 
also  seldom  reaches  the  point  that  will. allow  one  to 
plunge  in  all  over  with  any  degree  of  comfort.  One  an- 
noyance in  bathing  in  Lake  Marsh  during  the  warmer 
hours  of  the  day  was  the  presence  of  a  large  fly,  some- 
what resembling  the  "horse-fly,"  but  much  larger  and 
inflicting  a  bite  that  was  proportionately  more  severe. 
These  flies  made  it  necessary  to  keep  constantly  swinging 
a  towel  in  the  air,  and  a  momentary  cessation  of  this 
exertion  might  be  punished  by  having  a  piece  bitten  out 
of  one  that  a  few  days  later  would  look  like  an  incipi- 
ent boil.  One  of  the  party  so  bitten  was  completely 
disabled  for  a  week,  and  at  the  moment  of  infliction  it 
was  hard  to  believe  that  one  was  not  disabled  for  life. 
With  these  "horse"  flies,  gnats  and  mosquitoes  in  such 
dense  profusion,  the  Yukon  Valley  is  not  held  up  as  a 
paradise  to  future  tourists. 

The  southern  winds  which  had  been  blowing  almost 
continuously  since  we  first  spread  our  sail  on  Lake  Lin- 
deman,  and  which  had  been  our  salvation  while  on 
the  lakes,  must  prevail  chiefly  in  this  region,  as  witness 
the  manner  in  which  the  spruce  and  pine  trees  invariably 
lean  to  the  northward,  especially  where  their  isolated 


126 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


■il    . 


!     ' 


condition  nnd  exposure  on  tint  level  tracts  give  the  winds 
full  play,  to  influence  their  position.  Near  Lake  Lin- 
denian  a  dwjirfed,  contorted  pine  was  noticed,  the  iibers 
of  which  were  not  only  twisted  around  its  heart  two  or 
three  times,  in  a  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  but  the 
lieart  itself  was  twisted  in  a  spiral  like  a  corkscrew  that 
made  two  or  three  turns  in  its  length,  after  which,  as  if 
to  add  confusion  to  disorder,  it  was  bent  in  a  graceful 
sweep  to  the  north  to  conform  to  the  general  leaning  of 
all  the  trees  similarly  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  winds. 
There  was  a  general  brash  condition  of  all  the  wood 
which  was  very  apparent  when  we  started  to  make  pins 
for  l)inding  the  raft,  while  it  was  seldom  that  a  log  was 
found  large  enough  for  cutting  timber.  The  little  cove 
into  which  we  put  on  the  19th  of  June,  when  chased  by 
a  gale,  by  a  singular  freak  of  good  fortune  had  just  the 
logs  we  needed,  both  as  to  length  and  size,  to  repair  our 
raft,  and  I  do  not  think  we  saw  a  good  cliance  again  on 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Yukon.  Further  down,  every  is- 
land— and  the  Yukon  has  probably  as  many  islands 
as  any  half-dozen  rivers  of  the  same  size  in  the  world 
put  together — has  its  upper  end  covered  with  enough 
timber  to  build  all  the  rafts  a  lively  party  could  con- 
struct in  a  summer. 

Lake  Marsh  also  had  a  few  terraces  visible  on  the  east- 
ern hillsides,  but  they  were  nearer  together  and  not  so 
well  marked  as  those  we  observed  on  some  of  the  lakes 
further  back.  Along  these,  however,  were  pretty  open 
prairies,  covered  with  the  dried,  yellow  grass  of  last 
year,  this  summer's  growth  having  evidently  not  yet 
forced  its  way  through  the  dense  mass.  More  than  one 
of  us  compared  these  prairies,  irregular  as  they  seemed, 


ALONG  THE  LAKES. 


127 


with  the  stubble  iields  of  wlieat  or  outs  in  more  civili/ed 
climes.  1  have  no  doubt  that  they  rurnish  good  gi'azing 
to  mountain  goats,  caribou  and  moose,  and  would  be 
suflicient  for  cattle  if  they  could  keep  on  friendly  t<n'ms 
with  the  mosquitoes.  According  to  the  general  terms  of 
the  survival  of  the  littest  and  the  growth  of  muscles  the 
most  used  to  the  detriment  of  others,  a  band  of  cattle 
inhabiting  this  district  in  the  far  future  would  be  all 


ST\CKS 


AT  LAKL 


TYPICAL   TAIIK-IIEESII    OR    "  STICK "    INDIANS. 
From  sketches  by  Sergeant  Gloster. 

tail  and  no  body  unless  the  mosquitoes  should  experience 
a  change  of  numbers. 

At  Marsh  a  few  miserable  "Stick ''  Indians  put  in  an 
appearance,  but  not  a  single  thing  could  be  obtained 
from  them  by  our  curiosity  hunters.  A  rough-looking 
pair  of  shell  ear-rings  in  a  small  boy's  possession  he  in- 
stantly refused  to  exchange  for  the  great  consideration  of 
a  jack-knife  offered  by  a  member  of  the  party,  who  sup- 


ir 


I 


I 


liif 


I  Mi 


'  ':' 


!!     !',! 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVEU. 

posed  the  oniaiiieiits  to  be  purely  local  in  character  and 
of  siivai^e  nuniiifactiii'e.  Another  trinket  was  added  to 
llie  juck-knii'eand  still  refused,  and  additkmswere  made 
to  tile  oiii-inal  oJl'er,  until  just  to  see  if  there  was  any 
Hunt  to  the  acquisitiveness  oi  these  peoi)le,  a  linal  oil'er 
was  niatle,  I  believe,  of  a  doubh^-barreled  shot-gun  with 
a  thousand  rounds  of  aiuniunition,  a  ^old  watch,  two 
sacks  of  Hour  and  a  cam])  stove,  and  in  refusing  this  the 
boy  geiiei'ously  added  the  information  that  its  value  to 
him  was  based  on  the  fact  tliat  it  had  been  received  from 
the  (Jhilkats,  who,  in  turn,  had  ol)tained  it  from  the 
Avliit(^  traders. 

A  few  scraggy  half -starved  dogs  accomi)anied  the 
party.  \\\  nnconquerable  pugnacity  was  the  X)rincipal 
characteristic  of  these  aniinals,  two  of  them  lighting 
until  th«>y  Avere  so  exhausted  that  they  had  to  lean 
up  against  each  other  to  rest.  A  dirty  group  of  chil- 
dren of  assorted  sizes  completed  the  picture  of  one  of  the 
most  dejected  races  of  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
They  visited  their  fish  lines  at  the  mouth  of  the  incom- 
ing river  at  the  head  of  Lake  Marsh,  and  caught  enough 
fish  to  keei>  body  and  soul  together  after  a  fashion. 
This  method  of  fishing  is  quite  common  in  this  part  of 
the  country,  and  at  the  mouth  of  a  number  of  streams, 
or  where  the  main  stream  debouches  into  a  lake,  long 
willow  i:)oles  driven  far  enough  into  the  mud  to  prevent 
their  washing  away  are  often  seen  projecting  upward 
and  swayed  back  and  fortli  by  the  force  of  the  current. 
On  closer  examination  they  reveal  a  sinew  string  tied  to 
them  at  about  the  water-line  or  a  little  above.  They 
occasionally  did  us  good  service  as  buoys,  indicating  the 
mud  fiats,  which  we  could  thereby  avoid,  but  the  num- 


A  LOXG  TUK  I. A  KKS. 


12\) 


ber  of  iisli  we  <»v('r  s:i\v  taken  oil'  tliriii  wjis  not  alaniiiii^^ 
Tlie  majority  of  tliose  cau^lit  ai'«'  secun-d  by  means  of 
tlie  (loublf'-proni^t'd  fish-spears,  which  were  described  on 
pa<^e  7(5.  I  never  observed  any  nets  in  the  p()ssessi(m 
of  the  Tahk-heesh  or  "Sticks,"  bnt  my  invest i^^it ions  in 
this  respect  were  so  sliglit  that  I  miglit  easily  liave  over- 
loolved  them.  Among  my  trading  material  to  be  used 
for  hiring  native  help,  lish-hooks  were  eagerly  sought  by 
all  of  the  Indians,  until  after  White  River  was  passed, 
at  which  i)oint  the  Yukon  becomes  too  muddy  for  any 
kind  of  fishing  with  hook  and  line.  Lines  they  were  not 
so  eager  to  obtain,  the  common  ones  of  sinew  sulliciently 
serving  the  purpose.  No  good  bows  or  arrows  were  seen 
among  them,  their  only  weapons  being  the  stereotyped 
Hudson  Bay  (Company  flintlock  smooth-bore  musket, 
the  only  kind  of  gun,  I  believe,  throwing  a  ball  that  this 
great  trading  company  has  ever  issued  since  its  founda- 
tion. They  also  sell  a  cheap  variety  of  double-barreled 
percussion-capped  shotgun,  which  the  natives  buy,  and 
loading  them  with  ball — being  about  No.  12  or  14  guage 
— find  them  superior  to  the  muskets.  Singular  as  it  may 
appear,  these  Indians,  like  the  Eskimo  I  found  around 
the  northern  part  of  Hudson's  Bay,  prefer  the  flintlock 
to  the  percussion-cap  gun,  probably  for  the  reason  that 
the  latter  depends  on  three  articles  of  trade — caps,  pow- 
der and  lead — while  the  former  depends  on  but  two  of 
these,  and  the  chances  of  running  short  of  ammunition 
when  perhaps  at  a  distance  of  many  w^eeks'  journey  from 
these  supplies,  are  thereby  lessened.  These  old  muskets 
are  tolerably  good  at  sixty  to  seventy  yards,  and  even 
reasonably  dangerous  at  twice  that  distance.  In  all 
their  huntings  these  Indians  contrive  by  that  tact  pecu- 


'I' 


'I 


!  ^ 

i  'ii 


'/'  n 

m 


I 


VL 


i; 


I 

jl 


'  i 


t  1  iiif    ii' 


hi  i-k     •? 


■X 


11 


'i 


'i| ; 


ALONG  ALAfiKA'S  GREAT  lilVEU. 

liar  to  savages  to  get  within  thin  distance  of  moose,  black 
bear  and  caribou,  and  thus  to  earn  a  pretty  fair  subsist- 
ence the  year  round,  having  for  summer  a  diet  of  salmon 
with  a  f(nv  berries  and  roots. 

The  28th  we  had  on  Lake  Marsh  a  brisk  rain  and 
thunder  shower,  lasting  from  12.45  p.  m.  to  2.15  p.  m., 
directly  overhead,  which  was,  I  believe,  the  first  thun- 
derstorm recorded  on  the  Yukon,  thunder  being  un- 
known on  the  lower  river,  according  to  all  accounts. 
Our  Camp  15  was  on  a  soft,  boggy  shore  covered  with 
reeds,  where  a  tent  could  not  be  pitched  and  blankets 
could  not  be  spread.  The  raft  lay  far  out  in  the  lake,  a 
hundred  yards  from  the  shore,  across  soft  white  mud, 
through  which  one  might  sink  in  the  water  to  one's 
middle.  When  to  this  predicament  the  inevitable  mos- 
quitoes and  a  few  rain  showers  are  added,  I  judge  that 
our  plight  was  about  as  disagreeable  as  could  well  be 
imagined.  Such  features  of  the  explorer's  life,  however, 
are  seldom  dwelt  upon.  The  northern  shores  of  the  lake 
are  unusually  flat  and  boggy.  Our  primitive  mode  of 
navigation  suffered  also  from  the  large  banks  of  "glacier 
mud"  as  we  approached  the  lake's  outlet.  Most  of  this 
mud  was  probably  deposited  by  a  large  river,  the 
McClintock  (in  honor  of  Vice-Admiral  Sir  Leopold 
McClintock,  R.  N.),  that  here  comes  in  from*  the  north- 
east— a  river  so  large  that  we  were  in  some  doubt  as  to 
its  being  the  outlet,  until  its  current  settled  the  matter 
by  carrying  us  into  the  proper  channel.  A  very  con- 
spicuous hill,  bearing  north-east  from  Lake  Marsh,  was 
named  Michie  Mountain  after  Professor  Michie  of  West 
Point. 


I 

I  Y 


CHAPTER  VI. 


A   CIIAl'TEIi  ADOUT   UAFTINO. 


—  ji— »  ill 


AKE  Marsh  gave  us 
four  days  of  variable 
sailing  on  its  waters, 
when,  on  the  2J)th  of 
June,  we  emerged 
from  it  and  on(;e  more 
felt  the  exhilaration 
of  a  rapid  course  on  a 
swift  river,  an  exhila- 
ration that  was   not 


"SNUBBING"  THE  RAFT. 

allowed  to  die  rapidly  away,  by  reason  of  the  great 
amount  of  exercise  we  had  to  go  through  in  managing 
the  raft  in  its  many  eccentric  phases  of  navigation.  Ou 
the  lakes,  whether  in  storm  or  still  weather,  one  man 
stationed  at  the  stern  oar  of  the  raft  had  been  sufficient, 
as  long  as  he  kept  awake,  nor  was  any  great  harm  done 
if  he  fell  asleep  in  a  quiet  breeze,  but  once  on  the  river 
an  additional  oarsman  at  the  bow  sweep  was  impera- 
tively needed,  for  at  short  turns  or  sudden  bends,  or 
when  nearing  half-sunken  bowlders  or  tangled  masses  of 
driftwood,  or  bars  of  sand,  mud  or  gravel,  or  while 
steering  clear  of  eddies  and  slack  water,  it  was  often 
necessary  to  do  some  very  lively  work  at  both  ends  of 
the  raft  in  swinging  the  ponderous  contrivance  around  to 


.& 


I; 


I      { 


I 


:!i«|i: 


'ril.^ 


i  ■■■  ■ 


It*     i,    ■ 


n 


^^p  i^ 


!i!  :i'  1 


^ii: 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

avoid  these  obstacles,  and  in  tlie  worst  cases  two  or  three 
otlier  men  assisted  the  oarsmen  in  their  difficult  task. 
Just  how  much  strength  a  couple  of  strong  men  could 
put  on  a  steering  sweep  was  a  delicate  matter  to  gauge, 
and  too  often  in  the  most  trying  places  our  experiments 
in  testing  the  questions  were  failures,  and  with  a  sharp 
snap  the  oar  would  part,  a  man  or  two  would  sit  down 
violently  without  stopping  to  pick  out  the  most  luxur- 
ious places,  and  the  craft  like  a  wild  animal  unshackled 
would  go  plowing  through  the  fallen  timber  that  lined 
the  banks,  or  bring  up  on  the  bar  or  bowlder  we  had 
been  working  hard  to  avoid.  We  slowly  became  practi- 
cal oar  makers,  however,  and  toward  the  latter  part  of 
the  journey  had  some  crude  but  effective  implements 
that  defied  annihilation. 

As  we  leisurely  and  lazily  crept  along  the  lakes  some- 
body would  be  driving  away  ennui  by  dressing  down 
pins  with  a  hatchet,  boring  holes  with  an  auger  and 
driving  pins  with  an  ax,  until  by  the  time  the  lakes  were 
all  passed  I  believe  that  no  two  logs  crossed  each  other 
in  the  raft  that  were  not  securely  pinned  at  the  point  of 
juncture  with  at  least  one  pin,  and  if  the  logs  were  large 
ones  with  two  or  three.  In  this  manner  oar  vessel  was 
as  solid  as  it  was  possible  to  make  such  a  craft,  and 
Avould  bring  up  against  a  bowlder  with  a  shock  and 
swing  dizzily  around  in  a  six  or  seven  mile  current  with 
no  more  concern  than  if  it  were  a  slab  in  a  mill  race. 

I  believe  I  have  made  the  remark  in  a  previous  "hap- 
ter  that  managing  a  raft — at  least  our  method  of  manag- 
ing a  raft  —on  a  lake  was  a  tolerably  simple  affair, 
especially  with  a  favora])le  wind,  and  to  tell  the  truth, 
one  can  not  manage  it  at  all  except  with  a  favorable 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


133 


wind.  It  was  certainly  the  lieignt  of  simplicity  when 
compared  with  its  navigation  upon  a  river,  although  at 
first  sight  one  might  perhaps  think  the  reverse  ;  at  least 
I  had  thought  so,  and  from  the  conversation  of  the  whites 
and  Indians  of  south-eastern  Alaska,  I  knew  that  tlu^ir 
oi)inions  coincided  with  mine  ;  but  I  was  at  length  com- 
pelled to  hold  differently  from  them  in  this  matter,  as 
in  many  others.  Especially  was  this  navigation  diflicult 
on  a  swift  river  like  the  Yukon,  and  I  know  of  none 
that  can  maintain  a  flow  of  more  even  rapidity  from 
source  to  mouth  than  this  great  stream.  -It  is  not  very 
hard  to  keep  a  raft  or  any  floating  object  in  the  center 
of  the  current  of  a  stream,  even  if  left  alone  at  times,  but 
the  number  of  th'ngs  which  present  themselves  from 
time  to  time  to  drag  it  out  of  this  channel  seems  marvel- 
ous. 

Old  watermen  and  rafting  lumbermen  know  that  while 
a  river  is  rising  it  is  hard  to  keep  the  channel,  even  the 
driftwood  created  by  the  rise  clinging  to  the  shores  of 
the  stream.  Accordingly  they  are  anxious  for  the 
n'oment  when  this  driftwood  begins  to  float  along  the 
main  current  and  out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  for 
then  they  know  the  water  is  subsiding,  and  from  that 
point  it  requires  very  litthj  effort  to  keeji  in  the  swiftest 
current.  Should  this  drift  matter  be  equally  distributed 
over  the  running  w\T,ter  it  is  inferred  that  tlie  river  is  at 
"a  stand-still,"  as  they  say.  An  adept  can  closely 
judge  of  the  variations  and  stage  of  water  by  this 
means. 

In  a  river  with  soft  or  earthy  banks  (and  in  going  the 
whole  length  of  the  Yvdi:on,  over  two  thousjind  miles, 
we  saw  several  varieties  of  shores),  the  swift  current,  in 


!    i 


I, 


\      --V 


134 


ALONG  A^.ASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


(.; 


I  1  !  h 


f       t 


which  one  desires  to  keep  when  the  current  is  the  motive 
power,  nears  the  shores  only  at  points  or  curves,  where 
it  digs  out  the  ground  into  steej)  perpendicular  banks, 
which  if  at  all  high  make  it  imjjossible  to  lind  a  camp- 
ing jilace  for  the  night,  and  out  of  this  swift  current  the 
raft  had  to  be  rowed  to  secure  a  camp  at  evening,  while 
breaking  camp  next  morning  we  had  to  work  it  back 
into  the  current  again.     Nothing  could  be  more  aggra- 


!!    f 


AMONG    THE    SWEEPERS. 

vating  than  after  leaving  this  swift  current  to  find  a 
camp,  as  evening  fell,  to  see  no  possible  chance  for  such 
a  place  on  the  side  we  had  chosen  and  to  go  crawling 
along  in  slack  water  while  trees  and  brushes  swept 
rapidly  past  borne  on  the  swift  waters  we  had  quitted. 

If  the  banks  of  a  river  are  wooded — and  no  stream  can 
show  much  denser  gi'owth  on  its  shores  than  the  Yukon — 
the  trees  that  are  constantly  tumbling  in  from  these  placer* 
that  are  being  undermined,  and  yet  hanging  on  by  tl  L 
roots,  form  a  series  of  chcTaux  (Icfrise  or  aha  f  is,  to  which 
is  given  the  backwoods  cognomen  of  "  sweepers,"  nnd  a 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


135 


I 


FIG.  1. 


man  on  the  upper  side  of  a  raft  pluncfini;  through  tliem 
in  a  swift  current  ahnost  wishes  himself  a  beaver  or  a 
muskrat  so  that  he  can  dive  out  and  escape.       ^ 

Not  only  is  the  Yukon  equally  wooded 
on  its  banks  with  the  average  rivers  of 
the  world,  but  this  fringe  of  fallen 
timber  is  much  greater  in  quantity 
and  more  formidable  in  aspect 
than  any  found  in  the  temperate 
zones.  I  think  I  can  explain  this  fact  to  the  saiisfaction 
of  my  readers.  Taking  fig.  1  on  this  page  as  representing 
a  cross-section  perpendicular  to  the  trend  of  a  bank  of  a 
river  in  our  own  climate,  the  stumps  ss  representing 
trees  which  if  undermined  by  the  water  as 
far  as  c  will  generally  fall  in  alon^ 
cdy  and  carry  away  a  few  trees 
three  at  most,  then,  as  the 
roots  of  no  more  than  one 
such  tree  are  capable  of  hold- 
ing it  so  as  to  form  an  abatis 
along  tlie  bank,  trees  so  held  will  lean  obliquely  down 
stream  and  any  floating  object  will  merely  brush  along 
on  their  tips  without  receiving  serious  damage.  Figure 
2,  above,  rej)re- 
sents  a  similar 
sketch  of  a  cross 
section  on  the 
banks  of  the 
Yukon,   e  s  p  e  0  -  fig.  3. 

ially  along  its  numerous  islands,  these  banks,  as  we  saw 
them,  being  generally  from  six  to  eight  feet  above  the 
level  of  the   water.     This  is  also  about  the  depth  to 


FIG. 


1  i 


% 


'  f  fli 

•  1  ^wk 

1 1  ^  mm. 

[ 


i  iiil 


j7« 


m 


li 

it  ■}  \ 


I 


I 


!i    ! 


!    :■ 


;     i 
I     i 


I' 


11     I 


>  ;?■  I' 


I.' 

I:; 

( 


li  1  I 


■4 


ii  ': 


i.-^e 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GEE  AT  RIVER. 


which  the  moist  niarsliy  ground  freezes  solid  during  llie 
intense  cold  of  the  AUiskan  winter  in  the  interior  dis- 
tricts, and  the  banks  therefore  have  the  tenacity  of  ice 
to  support  them  ;  and  it  is  not  until  the  water  has  exca- 
vated as  far  as  c  (live  or  six  times  as  far  as  in  Figure  1), 
that  the  overhanging  mass  csd  becomes  heavy  enough  to 
break  off  the  projecting  bank  along  cd.  This  as  a  solid 
frozen  body  falls  downward  around  the  axis  c,  being  too 
heavy  for  tl  e  water  to  sweep  away,  it  remains  until 
thawed  out  h\  river  water  already  but  little  above 

freezing,  by  reuo  ju  of  the  constant  influx  of  ,7;lacier 
streams  and  from  running  between  frozen  banks.  I 
have  roughly  attemi)ted  to  show  this  process  in  Fig.  3. 
I  think  any  one  will  acknowledge  that  the  raft  R,  carried 
by  a  swift  current  sweeping  toward  c  is  not  in  a  very 
desirable  position.  Such  a  position  is  bad  enough  on 
any  river  which  has  but  a  single  line  of  trees  along  its 
scarp  and  trending  down  stream,  but  on  the  Yukon  it  is 
unfortunately  worse,  with  every  branch  and  twig  fero- 
ciously standing  at  "charge  bayonets,"  to  resist  any 
thing  that  floats  that  way.  In  Fig.  3,  the  maximum  is 
depicted  just  as  the  bank  falls  or  shortly  after  ;  and  it 
requires  but  a  few  days,  possibly  a  week  or  a  fortnight, 
for  all  the  outer  and  most  dangerous  looking  trees  to  be 
more  or  less  thoroughly  swept  away  by  the  swift  current, 
and  a  less  bristling  aspect  presented,  the  great  half 
frozen  mass  acting  somewhat  as  a  breakwater  to  further 
undermining  of  the  bank  for  a  long  while.  In  many 
places  along  the  river,  these  excavations  had  gone  so  far 
tliat  the  bank  seemed  full  of  deep  gloomy  caves  ;  and  as 
we  drifted  close  by,  we  could  see,  and,  on  (piiet  days 
hear,  the  dripping  from  the  thawing  surface,  c  6'  (lig.  2). 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


137 


I  !■ 


In  other  places  the  lialf  polished  surface  of  the  ice  in  tlie 
frozen  ground  could  be  seen  in  recent  fractures  as  late  as 
July,  or  even  August. 

Often  when  camped  in  some  desolate  spot  or  floating 
lazily  along,  having  seen  no  inhabitants  for  days,  we 
would  be  startled  by  the  sound  of  a  distant  gun-shot  on 
the  banks,  which  would  excite  our  curiosity  to  see  the 
savage  sportsman  ;  but  we  soon  came  to  trace  these  re- 
ports to  the  right  cause,  that  of  falling  banks,  although 
not  until  after  we  had  several  times  been  deceived. 
Once  or  twice  we  af3tually  saw  these  tremendous  cavings 
in  of  the  banks  quite  near  us,  and  more  frequently  than 
we  wanted  we  floated  almost  underneath  some  that  were 
not  far  from  the  crisis  of  their  fate,  a  fate  which  we 
thought  might  be  precipitated  by  some  accidental  collis- 
ion of  our  making.  By  far  the  most  critical  moment  was 
when  both  the  current  and  a  strong  wind  set  in  against 
one  of  these  banks.  On  such  occasions  we  were  often 
compelled  to  tie  up  to  the  bank  and  wait  for  better  times, 
or  if  the  danger  was  confined  to  a  short  stretch  we  would 
fight  it  out  until  either  the  whole  party  was  exhausted 
or  our  object  was  attained. 

Whenever  an  island  was  made  out  ahead  and  it  appeared 
to  be  near  the  course  of  our  drifting,  the  conflicting  guess- 
es we  indulged  in  as  to  which  shore  of  the  island  we  should 
skirt  would  indicate  the  difficulty  of  making  a  correct 
estimate.  It  takes  a  peculiarly  well  practiced  eye  to 
follow  with  certainty  the  line  of  the  current  of  the  stream 
from  the  bow  of  the  raft  beyond  any  obstruction  in 
sight  a  fair  distance  ahead,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  our  hardest  work  with  the  oars  and  poles  was 
rewarded  by  finding  ourselves  on  the  very  bar  or  flat  we 


!  j  Ifl 


II 


138 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


h  V: 


'I  i  h 


m  '  ' 


''■'<  :.* 


; ;  I 


had  Deen  striving  to  avoid.     The  position  of  the  sun, 
both  vertical  and  horizontal,  its  brightness  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  clouds,  the  clearness  and  swiftness  of  the 
water,  the  nature  and  strength  of  the  wind,  however 
lightly  it  might  be  blowing,  and  a  dozen  other  circum- 
stances had  to  be  taken  into  account  in  order  to  solve 
this  apparently  simple  problem.     If  we  could  determine 
at  what  point  in  the  upper  end  of  the  island  the  current 
was  parted  upon  either  side  (and  at  any  great  distance 
this  was  often  quite  as  difficult  a  problem  as  the  other), 
one  could  often  make  a  correct  guess  by  projecting  a  tree 
directly  beyond  and  over  this  point  against  the  distant 
hills.     If  the  tree  crept  along  these  hills  to  the  right,  the 
raft  might  pass  to  the  loft  of  the  island,  and  vice  versa ; 
this  would  certainly  happen  if  the  current  was  not  de- 
flected by  some  bar  or  shoal  between  the  raft  and  the 
island.    And  such  shoals  and  bars  of  gravel,  sand  and 
mud  are  very  frequent  obstructions  in  front  of  an  island 
— at  least  it  was  so  on  the  Yukon — indeed  the  coinci- 
dence was  too  frequent  to  be  without  significance.  These 
bars  and  shoals  were  not  merely  prolongations  from  the 
upper  point  of  the  island,  but  submerged  islands,  so  to 
speak.  Just  in  front  of  them,  and  between  the  two  a 
steamboat  could  probably  pass.    Using  tall  trees   as 
guides  to  indicate  on  which  side  of  the  island  the  raft 
might  pass  was,  as  I  have  said,  not  so  easy  as  appears  at 
first  sight,  for  unless  the  tree  could  be  made  out  directly 
over  the  dividing  point  of  the  current,  all  surmises  were 
of  little  value.  The  tall  spruce  trees  on  the  right  and  left 
flanks  of  the  island  in  sight  were  always  the  most  con- 
spicuous, being  few^r  in  number,  and  more  prominent  in 
their  isolation,  than  the  dense  growth  of  the  center  of  the 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING . 


139 


island,  as  it  was  seen  "end  on"  from  above.  People 
were  very  prone  to  use  these  convenient  reference  marks 
in  making  their  calculations,  and  one  can  readily  i)erceive 
when  the  trees  were  near  and  the  island  fairly  wide,  both  of 
the  outer  trees  would  appear  to  diverge  in  api)roaching, 
and  according  as  one  selected  the  right  or  the  left  of  the 
two  trees,  one  would  infer  that  our  course  was  to  the  left 
or  right  of  the  island.  As  one  stood  on  the  bow — as  we 
always  called  the  down-stream  end  of  the  raft,  although 
it  was  shaped  no  differently  from  the  stern — and  looked 
forward  on  the  water  flowing  along,  the  imagination 
easily  conceives  that  one  can  follow  uj)  from  that  position 
to  almost  any  thing  ahead  and  see  the  direction  of  the 
current  leading  straight  for  it.  Eddies  and  slack  cur- 
rents, into  which  a  raft  is  very  liable  to  swing  as  it 
rounds  a  point  with  an  abrupt  turn  in  the  axis  of  the 
current,  are  all  great  nuisances,  for  though  one  may  not 
get  into  the  very  heart  of  any  of  them,  yet  the  sum  total 
of  delay  in  a  day's  drift  is  often  considerable,  and  by  a 
little  careful  management  in  steering  the  raft  these 
troubles  may  nearly  always  be  avoided.  Of  course,  one 
is  often  called  upon  to  choose  between  these  and  other 
impediments,  more  or  less  aggravating,  so  that  one's 
attention  is  constantly  active  as  the  raft  drifts  along. 

In  a  canal-like  stream  of  uniform  width,  which  gives 
little  chance  for  eddies  or  slack  water — and  the  upper 
Yukon  has  many  long  stretches  that  answer  to  this 
description — every  thing  goes  along  smoothly  enough 
until  along  toward  evening,  when  the  party  w  ishes  to  go 
into  camp  while  the  river  is  tearing  along  at  four  or  five 
miles  an  hour.  I  defy  any  one  who  has  never  been 
similarly  situated,  to  have  any  adequate  conception  of 


i  • 


•i'l 


!;ir| 


:  ):  I 


M 


M 


140 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


\\  1. 


*    ; 


Hi 


(f: 


it 


(ilii  ^  u 


tlie  way  in  which  a  ponderous  vessel  like  our  inft,  con- 
structed of  Iju'ge  logs  and  loaded  with  four  or  live  tons 
of  cargo  and  crew,  will  bring  up  against  any  obsta(;le 
while  going  at  this  rate.  If  there  are  no  eddies  into 
which  it  can  be  rowed  or  steered  and  its  progress 
thereby  stopped  or  at  least  slackened,  it  is  very  liard 
work  indeed  to  go  into  camp,  for  should  the  raft  strike 
end  on,  a  side  log  or  two  may  be  torn  out  and  the  vessel 
transformed  by  the  shock  into  a  lozenge-shaped  affair. 
Usually,  Tinder  these  circumstances,  we  w^ould  bring  the 
raft  close  in  shore,  and  with  the  bow  oar  hold  its  head 


.ifTS 


f^^ 


well  out  into  the  stream,  while  with  the  steering  oar  the 
stern  end  would  be  thrown  against  the  bank  and  there 
held,  scraping  along  as  firmly  as  two  or  three  men  could 
do  it  (see  diagram  above),  and  this  frictional  brake  would 
be  kept  np  steadily  until  we  slowed  down  a  little,  when 
one  or  two,  or  even  half-a-dozen  persons  would  jump 
ashore  nt  a  favorable  spot,  and  with  a  rope  complete  the 
slackening  until  it  would  warrant  our  twisting  the  rope 
around  a  tree  on  the  bank  and  a  cross  log  on  the  raft, 
when  from  both  places  the  long  rope  would  be  slowly 


■',  1 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


141 


allowed  to  pay  out  under  strong  and  increasing  friction, 
or  "snubbing"  as  logmen  call  it,  and  this  would  bring 
the  craft  to  a  standstill  in  water  so  swift  as  to  boil  up 
over  the  stern  logs,  whereupon  it  would  receive  a  series 
of  snug  lashings.  If  the  jiosition  was  not  favorable  for 
camping  we  would  slowly  "drop"  the  craft  down 
stream  by  means  of  the  rope  to  some  better  site,  never 
allowing  her  to  proceed  at  a  rate  of  speed  that  we  could 
not  readily  control.  If,  however,  we  were  unsuccessful 
in  making  our  chosen  camping  ground  and  had  drifted 
below  it,  there  was  not  sufficient  power  in  our  party,  nor 
even  in  the  st^:  iigest  rope  we  had,  ever  to  get  the  craft 
up  stream  in  the  average  current,  whether  by  tracking 
or  any  other  means,  to  the  intended  spot. 

Good  camping  places  were  not  to  be  had  in  every 
stretch  of  the  river,  and  worse  than  all,  they  had  to  be 
selected  a  long  way  ahead  in  order  to  be  able  to  make 
them,  with  our  slow  means  of  navigation,  from  the 
middle  of  the  broad  river  where  we  usually  were. 

Oftentimes  a  most  acceptable  place  would  be  seen  just 
abreast  of  it,  having  until  then  been  concealed  by  some 
heavily  wooded  spur  or  point,  and  then  of  course  it 
would  be  too  late  to  reach  it  with  our  slow  craft,  while 
to  saunter  along  near  shore,  so  as  to  take  immediate 
advantage  of  such  a  possible  spot,  was  to  sacrifice  a  good 
deal  of  our  rapid  progress.  To  run  from  swift  into 
slacker  water  could  readily  be  accomplished  by  simply 
pointing  the  craft  in  the  direction  one  wanted  to  go,  but 
the  reverse  process  was  not  so  easy,  at  least  by  the  same 
method.  I  suppose  the  proper  way  to  manage  so  clumsy 
a  concern  as  a  raft,  would  be  by  means  of  side  oars  and 
rowing  it  end  on   (and  this  we    did  on  the  lakes  ill 


l?1 


1^ 


w 


■':!  1  3 


i  ?■  'I 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

niiiKinn;  a  camp  or  in  gaining  the  sliore  wlien  a  head  wind 
set  in),  but  as  our  two  oars  at  bow  and  stern  weje  the 
most  convenient  for  the  greater  part  of  the  work,  we 
used  them  entirely,  always  rowing  our  bundle  of  logs 
broadside  on  to  the  point  desired,  i)rovided  that  no  bars 
or  other  o})stacles  interfered.  We  generally  kept  the 
bow  end  inclined  to  the  shore  that  we  were  trying  to 
reach,  a  plan  that  was  of  service,  as  I  have  shown,  in 
l^assing  from  swift  to  slack  water,  and  in  a  three  mile 
current  by  using  our  oars  rowing  broadside  on  we  could 
keep  at  an  angle  of  about  thirty  degrees  from  the  axis 
of  the  stream  as  we  made  shoreward  in  this  position. 
The  knowledge  of  this  fact  enabled  us  to  make  a  rough 
calculation  as  to  the  point  at  which  we  should  touch  the 
bank.  The  greater  or  less  swiftness  of  the  current  would 
of  course  vary  this  angle  and  our  calculations  accord- 
ingly. 

Our  bundles  of  effects  on  the  two  corduroy  decks  made 
quite  high  piles  fore  and  aft,  and  when  a  good  strong 
wind  was  blowing — and  Alaska  in  the  summer  is  the 
land  of  wind — we  had  by  way  of  sail  power  a  spread  of 
broadside  area  that  was  incapable  of  being  lowered.  More 
frequently  than  was  pleasant  the  breeze  carried  us  along 
under  ' '  sweepers ' '  or  dragged  us  over  bars  or  drove  us 
down  unwelcome  channels  of  slack  water.  In  violent 
gales  we  were  often  actually  held  against  the  bank,  all 
movement  in  advance  being  effectually  checked.  A  mild 
wind  was  always  welcome,  for  in  the  absence  of  a  breeze 
when  approaching  the  sliore  the  musquitoes  made  exist- 
ence burdensome. 

During  hot  days  on  the  wide  open  river — singular  as 
it  mav  seem  so  near  the  Arctic  Circle — the  sun  would 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


148 


strike  down  from  ovorliead  witli  a  blistering'  cfTect  and  a 
bronzing  cfTect  from  its  rctlcction  in  the  tlaucing-  waters 
tliat  made  one  feel  as  though  he  were  floating  on  the  Nile, 
Congo  or  Amazon,  or  any  where  except  in  the  very  shadow 
of  the  Arctic  Circle.  Roughly  improvised  tent  flies  and 
flajjs  helped  ns  to  screen  ourselves  to  a  limited  extent 
from  the  tropical  torment,  but  if  hung  too  high,  the 
stern  oarsman,  who  had  charge  of  the  "shi}),"  could  see 
nothing  ahead  on  his  course,  and  the  curtain  would  have 
to  come  down.  No  annoyance  could  seem  more  sin- 
gular  in  the  Arctic  and  sub-Arctic  zones  than  a  blister- 
ing sun  or  a  swarm  of  nios(piitoes,  and  yet  I  believe 
my  greatest  discomforts  in  those  regions  came  from  these 
same  causes,  certainly  from  the  latter.  Several  times 
our  thermometer  registered  but  little  below  100°  Fahr- 
enheit in  the  shade,  and  the  weather  seemed  much 
warmer  even  than  that,  owing  to  the  bright  reflections 
that  gleamed  from  the  water  upon  our  faces. 

"  Cut  offs  "  through  channels  that  led  straight  across 
were  often  most  deceptive  affairs,  the  swifter  currents 
nearly  always  swinging  around  the  great  bends  of  the 
river.  Especially  bad  was  a  peculiarly  seductive '"  cut- 
off "  with  a  tempting  by  swift  current  as  you  entered  it, 
caused  by  its  flowing  over  a  shallow  bar,  wliereupon  the 
current  would  rapidly  and  almost  immediately  deepen 
and  would  consequently  slow  dowr  r(;  a  rate  that  was 
provoking  beyond  measure,  especially  as  one  saw  one's 
self  overtaken  by  piece  after  piece  of  drift-timber  that 
by  keeping  to  the  main  channel  had  "  taken  the  longest 
way  around  as  the  shortest  way  home,  "  and  beaten  ns 
by  long  odds  in  the  race.  And  worse  than  all  it  was  not 
always  possible  to  avoid  getting  in  these  side  "sloiiglis 


41 


\\i 


144 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREA  T  lilVKR 


I.:     il 


I  J  .   Mb' 

I    i    1 


n  n 


of  (U'spoiid,"'  even  wlicu  uc  liad  Icanicd  I  heir  Iciniitiii^ 
little  tricks  ol'  olVcriiii;'  lis  a  swifter  niiTeiit  at  the  en- 
trance, lor  this  very  swiftness  produced  a  sort  of  sn<'tiou 
on  tile  surfaces  water  that  drew  in  evei'v  tliiiii;'  that 
passed  within  a  distance  of  tlu*  widtli  of  its  enti'an<'e. 

Of  subnier^'ed  obstructions,  snans  weiv  of  little 
account,  for  the  i^-reat  jjondei-ons  craft  would  ,<;'o  plowin;^- 
through  and  cast ini;"  aside  some  of  the  most  forniidabU^ 
oftlK'iu.  I  doubt  very  much  if  sna,u;s  did  us  as  much 
harm  as  benelit,  for  as  they  always  indicated  shoal 
water,  and  were  easily  visible,  espechdiy  with  ,i,d asses, 
thev  often  served  us  as  beacons,  I  saw  verv  few  of  the 
liu^v  siiau's  which  have  received  theappellationof  "saw- 
yers" on  the  Mississij)])!  and  Missouri,  and  are  so  much 
dreaded  l)y  the  navigators  of  those  waters. 

San>l,    niiul   and  .liravel   burs   were  l)y  far   the  wor 
obstruction  we  had  to  contend  with,  and  I  thiidv  I  luive 
given  them  in  the  order  of  their  general  perversity  in  raft 
navigation,  sand  being  certainly  the  worst  and  gravel 
the  slightest. 

Sand  bai's  and  spits  were  particnlarly  aggravating,  and 
when  tile  great  gridiron  of  logs  ran  nji  on  one  of  tlu'in  in 
a  swift  current  there  was  "fun  aliead,"  to  use  a  western 
expression  of  negati(»n.  Sometimes  the  mere  jumjung 
overboard  of  all  the  crew  would  lighten  the  craft  so  that 
slie  would  lloat  Au'ward  a  few  yards,  and  in  lucky  instan- 
ces might  clear  the  obstructicm  ;  bnt  this  was  not  often 
the  case,  and  those  who  made  preparations  for  hard  work 
were  seldom  disai)i)ointed.  In  a  swift  curi'ent  the  run- 
ning water  would  swee])  out  the  sand  around  th(»  logs  of 
the  raft  until  its  buoyancy  would  prevent  its  sinking  any 
dee[)er,  and  out  of  this  rut  tlie  great  bulky  thing  would 


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A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


147 


have  to  be  lifted  before  it  would  budge  an  inch  in  a 
lateral  directio.i,  and  when  this  was  accomplished,  and, 
completely  fagged  out,  we  would  stop  to  take  a  breath 
or  two,  we  would  often  be  gratified  by  seeing  our  noble 
craft  sink  down  again,  necessitating  a  repetition  of  the 
process.  The  simplest  way  to  get  off  a  sand  bar  was  to 
find  (by  sounding  with  a  stick  or  simply  wading  around), 
the  point  nearest  to  a  deep  navigable  channel  and  then  to 
swing  the  raft,  end  for  end,  up  stream,  even  against  the 
swiftest  current  that  might  come  boiling  over  the  upper 
logs,  until  that  channel  was  reached.  There  was  nc  more 
happy  momeiit  in.a  day's  history  than  when,  after  an 
hour  or  so  had  been  spent  in  prying  the  vessel  inch  by 
inch  against  the  current,  we  could  finally  see  the  current 
catch  it  on  the  same  side  upon  which  we  were  working 
and  perform  the  last  half  of  our  task  in  a  few  seconds, 
where  perhaps  v/e  had  spent  as  many  hours  upon  our 
portion  of  the  work.  At  one  bad  place,  on  the  upper 
end  of  an  island,  we  had  to  svv'ing  our  forty-two  foot 
corvette  around  four  times.  Our  longest  detention  by  a 
sand  bar  was  three  hours  and  fifty  minutes. 

Mud  bars  were  not  nearly  so  bad,  unless  the  material 
was  of  a  clayey  consistency,  when  a  little  adhesiveness 
would  be  added  to  the  other  impediments,  and  again,  as 
we  always  endeavored  to  kee  >  in  the  swift  water  we  sel- 
dom encountered  a  mud  bar.  But  when  one  occurred 
near  to  a  camping  place,  it  materially  interfered  with  our 
wading  ashore  with  our  heavy  camping  effects  on  our 
bad"  s,  and  would  reduce  our  rubber  boots  to  a  deplora- 
ble looking  condition.  Elsewhere,  it  was  possible  to  pry 
the  raft  right  through  a  mud  bank,  by  dint  of  muscle 
and  patience,  and  then  we  could  sit  down  on  the  outer 


m 


148 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


;iMv:' 


I  11 


i!  'fi 


I.  ^ ' 


il<   !(  i, 


4.IIS  S' 


lof^s  of  the  deck  and  wasli  onr  boots  in  tlie  water  at  lei- 
sure as  we  lioaled  along.  Our  raf L  drew  from  twenty  to 
twenty-two  inches  of  water,  and  of  course  it  could  not 
ground  in  any  thing  deeper,  so  that  good  rubber  boots 
coniiiig  up  over  tlie  thiglis  kept  our  feet  comparatively 
dry  wlien  overboard  ;  but  tliere  were  times  when  we  were 
compelled  to  get  in  almost  to  our  middle  ;  and  when  the 
water  was  so  swift  that  it  boiled  up  over  their  tops  and 
tilled  them  they  were  about  as  useless  an  article  as 
can  be  imagined,  so  that  ^ve  went  into  all  such  places 
barefooted. 

The  best  of  all  the  bars  were  those  of  gravel,  and  the 
larger  and  coarser  the  pebbles  the  better.  AVhen  the 
pebbles  were  well  cemented  into  a  lirm  bed  by  a  binding 
of  clay  almost  as  solid  and  unyielding  as  rock,  we  could 
ask  notliing  better,  and  in  such  cases  we  always  went  to 
work  with  cheerful  prospects  of  a  speedy  release.  By 
simply  lifting  the  raft  with  pries  the  swift  current  throws 
it  forward,  and  since  it  does  not  settle  as  in  sand,  every 
exertion  tells.  By  turning  the  raft  broadside  to  the  cur- 
rent and  prying  or  "biting"  at  each  end  of  the  "boat" 
alternately,  with  our  whole  force  of  pries,  leaving  the 
swift  ^^  ater  to  throw  her  forward,  we  passed  over  gravel 
bars  on  which  I  do  not  think  the  water  was  over  ten  or 
eleven  inches  deep,  although  the  raft  drew  twice  as  much. 
One  of  iiie  gravel  bars  over  which  we  passed  in  this  man- 
ner was  fully  thirty  or  forty  yards  in  length. 

In  aggravated  cases  of  whatever  nature  the  load  would 
have  to  be  tak<^n  off,  carried  on  our  backs  through  the 
Avater  and  placed  on  the  shore,  and  when  the  raft  was 
cleared  or  freed  from  the  obstruction  it  would  be  brought 
alongside  the  bank  at  the  very  first  favorable  spot  for 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTTNG. 


Hn 


reloading.  Such  cases  ocourred  fiil^y  a  score  of  times 
during*  our  voyage.  AVhen  the  raft  stranded  on  a  bar 
with  the  water  on  eacli  side  so  deep  that  we  could  not 
wade  ashore,  the  canoe  was  used  for ' '  lightering  the  load," 
an  extremely  slow  process  which,  fortunately,  we  were 
obliged  to  employ  only  once  on  the  whole  raft  journey, 
although  several  times  in  wj.ding  the  water  en  me  up  to 
our  waists  before  we  could  get  to  shore.  In  fact,  with  a 
heavy  load  on  one's  back  or  shoulders,  it  is  evidently 
much  easier  to  wade  through  water  of  that  depth  ;ind 
proportional  current  than  through  very  swift  water  over 
shallow  bars. 

Looking  back,  it  seems  almost  miraculous  that  a  raft 
could  make  a  voyage  of  over  thirteen  hundred  miles,  the 
most  difficult  part  of  which  was  unknown,  stnvting  at 
the  very  head  where  the  stream  was  so  narrow  that  the 
raft  would  have  been  brought  at  a  standstill  if  it  swung 
out  of  a  straight  course  end  on  (as  it  did  in  tiie  Pnyer 
Rapids),  and  coverini'  nearly  two  months  of  dnily 
encoanters  with  snags  and  bowlders,  sticking  on  ]){U's  :ind 
shooting  rapids,  and  yet  get  through  almost  unscathed. 
When  I  started  to  build  this  one  on  Lake  Lindemiin  I 
had  anticipated  constructing  two  or  thre(>  of  these  jtrimi- 
tive  craft  before  I  could  exchange  to  good  and  sullicient 
native  or  civilized  transportation. 

The  raft  is  undoubtedly  the  oldest  form  of  navigation 
extant,  and  undo vd)tedly  the  AV(n'st ;  it  is  intriv  sting  to 
know  just  how  useful  the  raft  can  be  as  an  .luxiliary  to 
geographical  exploration,  and  certainly  my  raft  journey 
was  long  enough  to  t<?st  it  in  this  respect. 

The  I'aft,  cf  course,  can  move  in  one  direction  only, 
viz.  :  W'ith  the  current,  and  therefore  its  use  must  be 


"111 


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150 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


restricted  to  streams  whose  upper  waters  can  be  reached 
by  tlie  explorer.  The  traveler  must  be  able  to  escape  by 
the  mouth  of  the  stream  or  by  some  divergent  trail  lower 
down,  unless  his  explorations  prove  tlie  river  to  be  nav- 
igable for  such  craft  as  he  linds  on  its  lower  waters,  when 
he  may  use  these  for  returning.  The  building  of  a  raft 
requires  the  presence  of  good,  fair-sized  timber  along  the 
stream.  The  river  too,  must  offer  no  falls  of  any  great 
size.  My  Journey,  however,  has  demonstrated  that  a 
well  constructed  raft  can  go  any  vliere,  subject  to  the 
above  restrictions,  that  a  boat  can,  at  least  such  a  boat  as 
is  usually  employed  by  explorers. 

I  know  of  nothing  that  can  give  an  explorer  a  better 
opportunity  to  delineate  the  topography  of  the  surround- 
ing country  with  such  instruments  as  are  commonly  used 
in  assisting  dead  reckoning,  than  is  afforded  by  float' 
ing  down  a  river.  I  believe  the  steady  movement 
with  the  current  makes  "dead  reckoning"  much  more 
exact  than  with  a  boat,  where  the  rate  of  j)rogress  is  vari- 
able, where  one  hour  is  spent  in  drifting  as  a  raft,  another 
in  rowing,  and  a  third  in  sailing  with  a  changeable  wind, 
and  where  each  mode  of  progress  is  so  abruptly  exchanged 
for  another.  Any  steady  pace,  such  as  the  walking  of  a 
man  or  a  horse,  or  the  floating  of  a  raft  carefully  kept  in 
the  axis  of  the  current,  makes  dead  reckoning  so  exact, 
if  long  practiced,  as  often  to  aetoni.sh  the  surveyor  him- 
self, but  every  thing  depends  upon  this  steadiness  of 
motion.  The  errors  in  dead  reckoning  of  Mr.  Iloman,  my 
topographer,  in  running  from  Pyramid  Harbor  in  Chil 
kat  Inlet  to  Fort  Yukon,  both  carefully  determined  by 
astronomical  observations  and  over  a  thousand  nules 
apart,  was  less  than  one  per  cent.,  a  fact  which  proves 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


151 


that  rafting  as  a  means  of  surveying  may  be  ranked  with 
any  method  that  requires  wallving  or  riding,  and  far 
exceeds  any  method  in  use  by  explorers  ascending  a 
stream,  as  witness  any  map  of  tlie  Yulion  River  that 
attempts  to  show  tlie  position  of  Fort  Yukon,  before  it 
was  astronomically  determined  by  Captain  Raymond. 
Meridian  observations  of  the  sun  for  latitude  are  hard  to 
obtain,  for  the  reader  already  knows  what  a  task  it  is  to 
get  a  raft  into  camp.  This  difficulty  of  course  will  vary 
with  the  size  of  the  raft,  for  one  as  large  as  ours  Avould 
not  always  be  needed  and  a  small  one  can  be  more 
readily  handled  in  exploration.  While  rafting,  field 
photography,  now  so  much  used  by  explorers,  is  very 
difficult,  as  it  can  only  be  achieved  at  camping  places 
unless  the  apparatus  is  carried  ashore  in  a  canoe,  if  the 
raftsmen  have  one  ;  and  the  ease  with  which  separated 
persons  can  lose  each  other  along  a  river  full  of  islands 
makes  this  kind  of  work  a  little  uncertain,  and  the  serv- 
ices of  a  good  artist  more  valuable. 

This  summary  covers  nearly  all  the  main  points  that 
are  strictly  connected  with  geographical  exfjloration,  in 
the  meaning  ordinarily  accepted  ;  but  on  expeditions 
where  this  exploration  is  the  main  object  there  are  often 
other  matters  of  a  scientific  nature  to  be  taken  into 
account,  such  as  the  geology,  botany,  and  zoology  of  the 
districts  traversed,  to  which  the  question  of  geograph- 
ical distribution  is  important,  and  for  all  these  objects 
researches  by  means  of  a  raft  are  at  considerable  disad- 
vantage. 

Also  in  rafting  there  is  a  slight  tendency  to  over-esti- 
mate the  length  of  the  stream,  although  the  map  may  be 
perfectly  accurate.    In  the  figure  on  page  152,  the  axis 


m 


i'M 


[% 


Hi'-' 


!!:•'!  I 


152 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


iii,; 


nm 


H' 


AA'  is  undoubtedly  the  accepted  line  on  which  to  esti- 
mate and  measure  the  length  of  the  stream  between  those 
two  i)oints,  and  it  is  equally  evident  to  one  familiar  with 
the  currents  of  a  river  that  some  such  line  as  RR'  would 
rejiresent  the  course  of  a  floating  raft,  and  the  excess  of 
RR'  over  AA',  \u ith  being  developed,  would  be  the  error 
mentioned.  In  this  figure  the  relative  curves  are  exag- 
gerated to  show  the  principle  more  clearly.  Again,  every 
island  and  shoal  would  materially  affect  this  somewhat 

mathematical  plan,  but  I 
think  even  these  would 
tend  to  produce  an  over- 
estimate. 

Drifting  close  along  the 
shores  of  an  island,  and 
Hearing  its  lower  termina- 
tion, we  occasionally  were 
delayed  in  a  singular  man- 
ner, unless  prompt  to 
avoid  it.  A  long,  nar- 
row island,  with  tapering 
ends,  and  lying  directly 
in  the  course  of  the  cur 
rent,  gave  us  no  trouble  ; 
but  oftentimes  these 
lower  ends  were  very  blunt,  and  the  cui-rents  at  the 
two  sides  came  at  all  angles  with  respect  to  the 
island  and  each  other,  and  this  was  especially  true  of 
large  groupings  of  islands  situated  in  abrupt  bends  of 
the  river.  To  take  about  the  worst  case  of  this  nature 
that  we  met,  imagine  a  blunted  island  Avitli  the  current 
at  either  side  coming  in  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five 


n': 


A  CHAPTER  ABOUT  RAFTING. 


153 


5§ 


degrees  to  tlie  shore  line,  or  at  right  angles  to  each 
other,  as  I  have  tried  to  show  in  figure  on  this  page,  tlie 
arrows  showing  the  current.  At  some  point  below  the 
island  the  recurving  and  ex-curving  waters  neutralize 
each  other  in  a  huge  whirlpool  (W).  Between  W  and 
the  island  the  waters,  if  swift,  would  pour  back  in  strong, 
dancing  waves  like  tide-rips,  and  in  some  places  with 
such  force  as  to  cut  a  channel  (0)  into  the  island.     It  is 

evident  that  with  the 
raft  at  R,  it  is  neces- 
sary to    row    to  star- 
board   as    far    as    R' 
before  W  is   reached, 
as  otherwise  it  would 
be  carried  back  against 
the    island.      We  got 
caught  in  one  violent 
whirlpool  that  turned 
the  huge  raft  aroirnd 
so  rapidly  that  I  be- 
lieve the  tender  stom- 
achs of  those   prone  to  sea-sickness  would   soon  have 
weakened  if  we  had  not  escaped  by  vigorous  efforts.    At 
great  angles  of  the  swift  water  and  broad-based  islands 
I  have  seen  the  whirlpool  when  nearly  half  a  mile  from 
the  island,  and  they  were  usually  visible  for  three  or  four 
hundred  yards  if  worth  noticing.     So  many  conditions 
were  required  for  the  creation  of  these  obstacles  that  they 
Avere  not  common. 


I-  : 


'V 


t  I 


!i  f 


%m 


' ' .  (;' 

!         , 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  GRAND  CAlTON  OF  THE  YUKON. 

WE  slowly  floated  out  of  Lake 
Marsh  it  was  known  to  us  by 
Indian  reports  that  somewhere 
not  far  ahead  on  the  course  of 
the  river  would  be  found  the 
longest  and  most  formidable 
mpid  on  the  entire  length  of  the 
great  stream.  At  these  rapids 
the  Indians  confidently  expected 
that  our  raft  would  go  to 
pieces,  and  we  were  therefore 
extremely  anxious  to  inspect 
them.  By  some  form  of  improper  interpretation,  or  in 
some  other  way,  we  got  the  idea  into  our  heads  that 
these  rapids,  "rushing,"  as  the  natives  described  them, 
"through  a  dark  canon,"  would  be  reached  very  soon, 
that  is,  within  two  or  three  miles,  or  four  or  five  at  the 
furthest.  Accordingly  I  had  the  raft  beached  at  the  river' s 
entrance,  and  undertook,  with  the  doctor,  the  task  of 
\i'alking  on  ahead  along  the  river  bank  to  inspect  them 
before  making  any  further  forward  movement,  after 
which  one  or  both  of  us  might  return.  After  a  short 
distance  I  continued  the  journey  alone,  the  doctor  re- 
turning to  start  the  raft.    I  hoped  to  be  at  the  upper 


GRAYLING. 


THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  YUKON. 


155 


end  of  the  rapids  by  the  time  she  came  in  sight  so  as  to 
signal  her  in  ample  time  for  her  to  reach  the  bank  from 
the  swiftest  current  in  the  center,  as  the  river  was  now 
five  or  six  hundred  yards  wide  in  places.  It  turned  out 
afterward  that  the  great  rapids  were  more  than  fifty 
miles  further  on. 

I  now  observed  that  this  new  stretch  of  river  much 
more  closely  resembled  some  of  the  streams  in  temperate 
climes  than  any  we  had  yet  encountered.  Its  flanking 
hillsides  of  rolling  ground  were  covered  with  spruce  and 
pine,  here  and  there  breaking  into  pleasant- looking 
grassy  prairies,  while  its  own  picturesque  valley  was 
densely  wooded  with  poplar  and  willows  of  several 
varieties.  These  latter,  in  fact,  encroached  so  closely 
upon  the  water's  edge,  and  in  such  impenetrable  con- 
fusion, that  camping  places  were  hard  to  find,  unless  a 
friendly  spur  from  the  hills,  covered  with  evergreens, 
under  which  a  little  elbow  room  might  be  had,  wedged 
its  way  down  to  the  river,  so  as  to  break  the  continuity 
of  these  willowy  barriers  to  a  night's  good  camping 
place.  The  raft's  corduroy  deck  of  pine  poles  often 
served  for  a  rough  night's  lodging  to  some  of  the  party. 

Muskrats  were  plentiful  in  this  part  of  the  river,  and 
I  could  hear  them  "plumping"  into  the  water  from  the 
banks,  every  minute  or  two,  as  I  walked  along  them  ; 
and  afterward,  in  the  quiet  evenings,  these  animals 
might  at  once  be  traced  by  the  wedge-shaped  ripples 
they  mad  e  on  the  surface  of  the  water  as  they  swam 
around  us. 

I  had  not  walked  more  than  two  or  three  miles, 
fighting  great  swarms  of  mosquitoes  all  the  way,  when  I 
came  to  a  peculiar  kind  of  creek  distinctive  of  this  por- 


:)■  i 


m 


1 


ifllhiS'; 


111 

, '  ■' 

t 

'  ,    '! 

1 

'3j 

15G 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVER. 


tion  of  tlic  river,  jiud  worth  doscrihing.  It  was  not  very 
wide,  but  altogether  too  wide  to  .junii>,  witli  .sh)i)es  of 
slipi)ei'y  day,  and  so  dtM'j)  that  I  (H)iiI(I  not  see  bottom 
nor  toueh  it  with  any  pole  that  I  could  ilnd.  These 
singular  streams  have  a  current  s<M'iningly  as  slow  as 
that  of  a  glacier,  and  the;  on(^  that  st()pi)ed  me — and  I 
suppose  all  the  rest — had  tlu;  same  unvarying  canal-like 
width  for  over  half  a  mile  from  its  moutii.  Beyond  this 
distance  I  dared  noti)rolong  my  rambles  to  find  a  crossing 
I)Lice  for  fear  the  raft  might  pass  me  on  tii(^  river,  so  I 
returned  to  its  mouth  and  waited,  lighting  mo.scpiitoes, 
for  the  raft  to  come  along,  '.vhen  the  canoe  would  i)ick 
me  up.  In  my  walks  along  the  creek  I  found  many 
moose  and  caribou  tracks,  some  of  them  looking  large 
enough  to  belong  to  prize  cattle,  but  all  of  them  were 
old.  Probably  they  had  been  made  before  the  mosqui- 
toes became  so  numerous. 

The  first  traveler  along  the  river  was  one  of  our  old 
Tahk-heesh  friends,  who  came  down  the  stream  paddling 
his  " Cottonwood"  canoe  with  his  family,  a  squaw  and 
three  children,  wedged  in  the  bottom.  He  partially 
comprehended  my  situation,  and  I  tried  hard  to  make 
him  understand  by  signs  that  I  wanted  simply  to  cross 
the  canal-like  creek  in  his  canoe,  Avhile  he,  evidently 
remembering  a  number  of  trifles  he  had  received  from 
members  of  the  party  at  a  few  camps  back,  thought  it 
incumbent  upon  him  to  take  me  a  short  way  down  the 
river,  by  way  of  a  quid  pro  quo^  to  which  I  did  not 
object,  especially  after  seeing  several  more  of  those  wide 
slack-water  tributaries,  and  as  I  still  supposed  that  the 
rapids  were  but  a  short  distance  ahead,  and  that  my 
Indian  guide  expected  to  camp  near  them.     The  rain 


THE  r.RAND  CANOX  OF  THE  YUKON. 


ir.7 


was  fnllintif  in  a  persistent  drizzle,  wliicli,  roni)l('(l  with 
my  crjiinped  position  in  tlie  riclcety  ('anoe,  nuule  me  feel 
any  thing  but  comt'ortahlc;.  My  Indian  i)atron,  a  good 
natured  loolving  old  fellow  of  about  lifty,  was  evidently 
i'eeling  worried  and  harassed  at  not  meeting  other 
Indians  of  his  tribe — for  lie  had  previously  promised  me 
that  he!  would  have  a  number  of  them  at  the  lapids  to 
l)ortage  my  effects  around  it  if  my  raft  went  to  jtieces  in 
shooting  them,  as  tlu.'y  were  all  confident  it  would,  or  if 
I  determined  to  build  another  forthwith  ata  i)oint  below 
the  dangerous  portion  of  the  rapids — and  \w  ceased  the 
not  unmusical  strokes  of  his  paddle  every  minute  or 
two  in  order  to  S(!an  with  a  keen  eye  the  riv<'r  banks  or 
the  hillsides  bey(md,  or  to  listen  for  signals  in  rei)ly  to 
the  prolonged  shouts  he  occasionally  enutted  from  his 
vigorous  lungs.  After  a  voyage  of  three  or  four  miles, 
he  became  discouraged,  and  diving  down  into  a  mass  of 
dirty  rags  and  strong-scented  Indian  bric-a  brae  of  all 
sorts  in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  he  lislied  out  an  old 
brass-mounted  Hudson  Bay  Company  Hintlock  horse- 
pistol,  an  object  occasionally  found  in  the  i)ossession  of 
a  well-to-do  Yukon  River  savage.  He  took  out  the 
bullet,  which  he  did  not  desire  to  lose,  and  held  it  in  his 
teeth,  and  i)ointing  ihe  unstable  weapon  most  uncom- 
fortably close  to  my  head,  pulled  the  trigger,  although 
from  all  I  have  seen  of  these  weapons  of  destruction  (to 
powder)  I  imagine  the  butt  end  of  the  pistol  was  the 
most  dangerous.  The  report  resounded  through  the 
hills  and  valleys  with  a  thundering  vibration,  as  if  the 
weapon  had  been  a  small  cannon,  but  awakened  no  reply 
of  any  kind,  and  as  it  was  getting  well  along  into  the 
evening  my  "Stick"  friend  pointed  his  canoe  for  an  old 


d 


ill 


IIH''' 


'ii.i. 


Tl 


158 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER 


ramping  I)lace  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river  (although 
the  bout  was  so  warped  and  its  nose  so  broken  that  one 
mi<?ht  ahnost  have  testified  to  its  pointing  in  any  other 
direction),  and  with  a  few  stroltes  of  liis  paddle  he  was 
soon  on  sliore.  Thereupon  I  went  into  the  simplest  camp 
I  had  ever  o(!cupied,  for  all  that  was  done  was  to  pull 
an  old  piece  of  riddled  canvas  over  a  leaning  pole  and 
crawl  under  it  and  imagine  that  it  kept  out  the  rain, 
which  it  did  about  as  effectually  as  if  it  had  been  a  huge 
crochet  tidy.  My  companions,  however,  did  not  seem  to 
mind  the  rain  very  much,  tlieii'  only  apparent  objection 
to  it  being  that  it  prevented  their  kindling  a  lire  with 
their  usual  apparatus  of  steel  and  damp  tinder  ;  and 
when  I  gave  them  a  couple  of  matches  they  were  so  pro- 
fuse in  their  thanks  and  their  gratitude  seemed  so  genu- 
ine, that  I  gave  them  all  I  had  with  me,  probably  a 
couple  of  dozen,  when  they  overwhelmed  me  with  their 
grateful  appreciation,  until  I  was  glad  to  change  the 
subject  to  a  passing  muskrat  and  a  few  ducks  that  were 
swimming  bj' .  I  could  not  help  contrasting  their  beha- 
vior with  that  of  the  more  arrogant  Chilkats.  They 
seemed  much  more  like  Eskimo  in  their  rude  hospitality 
and  docility  of  nature,  although  I  doubt  if  they  equal 
them  in  personal  bravery. 

There  is  certainly  one  good  thing  about  a  rain-storm 
in  Alaska,  however,  and  that  is  the  repulsion  that  exists 
between  a  moving  drop  of  rain  and  a  comparatively  sta- 
tionary mosquito  when  the  two  come  in  contact,  and 
which  beats  down  the  latter  with  a  most  comforting 
degree  of  pertinacity.  Mosquitoes  evidently  know  how 
to  protect  themselves  from  the  pelting  rain  under  the 
broad  deciduous  leaves,  or  under  the  lee  of  trees  and 


TIIK  (J HAND  CANON  OF  THK  YUKON. 


150 


branclioH,  for  th<)  instsuit  il  ccmsos  they  nro  nil  out,  ai)[)ii- 
I'cntly  more  voracious  than  vvev.  All  alon^'  this  hank 
near  the  Indians'  canip,  the  dense  willow  brake  crawled 
up  and  leaned  over  the  water,  and  I  feared  there  was  no 
canii)ing  place  to  be  found  for  my  approacliin<^  i)arty, 
until  after  walking  back  about  lialf  a  mile  I  es[)ied  a 
place  where  a  little  spur  of  spruce-dad  hillocks  infiinged 
on  the  shore.  Here  I  halted  the  raft  and  we  made  an 
uncomfortable  camp.  Fish  of  some  kind  kept  junii>ing 
in  the  river,  but  the  most  sediu'tive  "flies"  were  unre- 
warded with  a  single  bite,  although  the  weatiKU'  was  not 
of  the  kind  to  tempt  one  either  to  hunt  or  ilsli. 

The  next  day,  the  3()th  of  .June,  was  l)ut  little  better 
as  far  n^*  the  weather  was  concerned,  and  w(;  got  j'way 
late  from  our  camp,  having  overslept  ourselves.  Our 
Tahkheesh  friend,  with  his  family,  now  pi'eceded  ns  in 
his  canoe  for  the  purpose  of  indicating  the  rar)ids  in 
good  season  ;  but  of  course  he  disappeared  aliead  of  us 
around  every  bend  and  island,  so  as  to  keep  us  fettling 
more  anxious  about  it.  At  one  time,  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening — our  Tahkheesh  guide  out  of  sight  for  the 
last  half  hour — we  plainly  lieard  a  dull  roaring  ahead  of 
us  as  we  swung  around  a  high  broken  clay  bluif, 
and  wore  clearly  conscious  of  the  fact  that  we  were 
shooting  forward  at  a  more  rapid  pace.  Thinking  that 
discretion  was  the  better  part  of  valoi',  the  raft  was 
rapidly  swung  inshore  witli  a  bump  that  almost  ui)set 
the  whole  crew,  and  a  prospecting  party  were  sent  down 
stream  to  walk  along  the  bank  until  they  found  out  the 
cause  of  the  sound,  a  plan  which  very  soon  revealed 
that  there  were  noisy,  shallow^  rapids  extending  a  short 
distance  out  into  the  bend  of  the  river,  but  they  were 


-*'^i 


iPiifl 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


not  serious  enough  to  have  stopped  us  ;  at  least  they 
woukl  liave  been  of  no  consequence  it  \vj  hud  not  landed 
in  tlie  lirst  place,  but,  as  matters  stood,  they  were 
directly  in  front  of  our  position  on  the  shore,  and  so 
swift  was  the  current  that  \ve  could  not  get  out  fast 
enough  iuto  the  stream  with  our  two  oars  to  avoid  stick- 
ing on  the  rough  lar  of  gravel  and  bowlders.  Shortly 
after  the  crew  had  Jumped  off,  and  just  as  they  were  pre- 
paring to  pry  the  raft  around  into  the  deeper  water  ,i 
the  stream,  the  most  violent  splashing  and  floundering 
was  lieard  on  the  outer  side  of  the  *"rafl,  and  it  was  soon 
found  that  a  goodly-sized  and  beautifully-spotted  gray- 
ling had  hooked  himself  to  a  fish-line  flat  someone  had 
allowed  to  trail  over  the  outer  logs  in  the  excitement  of 
attending  to  the  more  important  duties  connected  with 
the  supposed  rapids.  He  was  rapidly  taken  from  the 
hook,  and  when  the  line  was  again  thrown  over  into  the 
ripples  another  immediately  repeated  the  operation,  and 
it  soon  became  evident  that  we  were  getting  into  the  very 
best  of  fishing  waters,  the  lirst  we  had  discovered  of  that 
character  on  ihe  river.  After  the  raft  was  swung  clear 
of  the  outer  bowlders  of  the  reef  and  had  stnited  once 
more  on  its  way  down  stream,  several  lines,  poles  and 
flies  v.ere gotten  out,  and  it  A\as  quite  entertaining  to  see 
the  long  casts  that  were  attempted  as  "  -e  rushed  by  dis- 
tant ripples  near  the  curve  of  the  banks.  More  than  one 
of  these  casts,  however,  provfvl  successful  in  landing  a 
fine  grayling.  A  jump  and  a  splash  and  a  miss,  and 
there  was  no  more  chance  at  that  ripple  for  the  same 
iish,  for  by  the  time  a  recover  and  a  cast  conld  be  made 
the  raft  was  nearly  alongside  of  another  tempting 
place,  so  swift  was  the  river  and  so  numerous  the  clean 


THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  YUKON. 


161 


they 
nded 
were 
[1(1  so 
t  fust 
stick- 
lortly 
'e  pre- 
ter   .f 
iering 
s  soon 
gi-ay- 
ne  had 
lent  of 
d  witli 
)m  the 
ito  t'le 
)n,  and 
he  very 
of  that 
ig  ck^ar 
'd  once 
lies  and 
nc  to  see 
by  dis- 
han  one 
nding  a 
Lss,  and 
le  same 
)e  made 
empting 
he  clean 


gravel  bars  jutting  into  it  at  eveiy  bend.  Many  a  pretty 
grayling  would  come  sailing  through  the  air  like  a  Hy- 
ing squirrel  and  unhooking  himself  en  route,  with  a 
quick  splash  would  disappear  through  the  logs  of  the 
raft,  with  no  other  injury  than  a  good  bump  of  his  nose 
against  the  rough  bark,  and  no  dorbt  ready  to  thank  his 
stars  that  his  captors  were  not  on  land.  Passing  over 
shallow  bottoms  covered  with  white  pebbles,  especially 
those  shoaling  down  streom  from  the  little  bars  of  which 
I  have  spoken,  a  quick  eye  could  often  detect  great 
numbers  of  fish,  evidently  grayling,  with  their  heads 
up  stream  and  propelling  their  tails  just  enough  to 
remain  over  the  same  spot  on  the  bottom,  in  the  swift 
current.  That  evening  we  camped  very  late — about  10 
p.  M. — having  hopes  to  the  last  tha;;  we  might  reach  the 
upper  end  of  the  Grand  Canon.  Our  Stick  guide  had 
told  us  that  when  we  saw  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream 
coming  in  from  the  west  and  spreading  out  in  a  mass  of 
foam  over  the  rocks  at  the  point  of  confluence,  we  could 
be  sure  of  finding  the  great  canon  within  half  a  mile.  An 
accurate  census  of  small  creeks  answering  exactly  to 
that  description  having  been  taken,  gave  a  total  of  about 
two  dozen,  with  another  still  in  view  ahead  of  us  as  we 
camped.  Knowing  the  ijenchant  of  our  fishy  friends 
for  half -submerged  gravel  bars,  our  camp  was  picked 
with  reference  to  them,  and  near  it  there  were  two  of 
such  bars  running  out  into  the  stream.  Some  fifty  or 
sixty  grayling  were  harvested  by  the  three  lines  that 
were  kept  going  until  about  eleven  o'clock,  by  which 
time  it  was  too  dark  to  fish  with  any  comfort,  for  the 
lieavy  banked  clouds  in  the  sky  brought  on  darkness 
much  earlier  than  usual.     Red  and  white  mixed  flies 


m 
if 


\M 


i 


I 


""TV 


"I 


102 


ALONU  AI.ASKA'S  GUEAT  RIVER. 


•;  ■  I 


Vm  : 


!  !  M:  i 


,:il;; 


Ffri 


p: 


5i!'     • 


U'rij 


were  eagfM'l y  snapped  by  the  voracious  and  active  creat- 
ures, and  as  the  evening  sliadows  dt^epened,  a  resort  to 
nu»)'e  wliile  in  the  niixtiire  kejit  up  theexhihirating  sport 
until  it  wastoodai'k  for  the  lisliei'inan  to  see  his  Hy  on 
till'  watei'.  Tiie  grayling  caught  that  evening  seemed  to 
he  ol"  two  very  distinct  sizes,  witliout  any  great  number 
of  inl<'rniediate  sizes,  the  hirger  averaging  about  ajwund 
in  weight,  tlu^  smaller  about  one-foui'th  as  much.  So 
numerous  and  voracions  were  they  that  two  or  three  flies 
were  kept  on  one  line,  and  two  at  a  cast  were  several 
times  caught,  and  triplets  once. 

On  the  morning  of  .July  1st,  we  approached  the  great 
rapids  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yukon.  Just  as  I  had 
expected,  our  Talikheesh  guide  in  his  Cottonwood  canoe 
was  noil  fs'f,  until  we  wei'e  within  sigiit  of  the  upper  end 
of  th<^  canon  and  its  boiling  Avaters,  and  tearing  along  at 
six  or  seven  miles  an  hour,  when  we  caught  sight  of  him 
frantically  gesticulating  to  us  that  the  rapids  were  in 
sigiit,  wliich  was  j)lainly  evident,  even  to  us.  TI«^  prob- 
ably thought  that  oui*  ])onderous  i-aft  was  as  manag(»able 
ill  the  seething  curi'ent  as  his  own  light  craft,  or  he  never 
Avould  have  allowed  us  to  get  so  near.  In  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye  we  got  ashore  the  first  line  that  came  to  hand, 
and  1  here  was  l)arely  time  to  make  both  ends  fast,  one 
on  the  I'aft  and  the  other  to  a  convenient  ti'ee  on  the 
bank,  before  the  s))inning  raft  came  suddeidy  t(j  the  end 
of  liei-  tether  with  a  snap])ish  twang  that  made  the  little 
rope  singlik(»  a  musical  string.  AVhy  that  little  quarter- 
inch  manilla  did  not  ])art  seems  a  mystery,  even  yet, — it 
was  a  mei'e  government  flagstaff  lanyard  that  we  had 
l)rought  along  foi' packing  purposes,  etc. — but  it  held  on  as 
if  it  knew  the  importance  of  its  task,  and  with  the  swift 


little 
larter- 
"t,— it 
B  lijid 
Ion  lis 

swift 


II 


1    :    If', 


IM 


)'ii';l 


J    I  5,1  j. 


'rm 


m 

[ 
I 


' 


Hi 


m 


ir 


II 


THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  YUKON. 


165 


water  pouring  in  a  sheet  of  foam  over  the  stern  of  the 
shackled  raft,  she  slowly  swung  into  an  eddy  under  the 
lee  of  a  gravel  bar  where  she  was  soon  securely  fastened, 
whereupon  we  prepared  to  make  an  inspection  of  our 
chief  impediment.  A  laborious  survey  of  three  or  four 
hours'  duration,  exposed  to  heat  and  mosquitoes,  revealed 
that  the  rapids  were  about  live  miles  long  and  in  appear- 
ance formidable  enough  to  repel  any  one  who  might  con- 
template making  the  passage  even  in  a  good  boat,  while 
such  an  attempt  seemed  out  of  the  question  with  an  un- 
manageable raft  like  ours. 

The  Yukon  River,  which  had  previously-  been  about 
three  hundred  or  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  width, 
gradually  contracts  as  it  nears  the  upi^er  gate  of  the 
canon  and  at  the  point  where  the  stream  enters  it  in  a 
high  white-capped  wave  of  rolling  water,  I  do  not  be- 
lieve its  width  exceeds  one-tenth  of  that  distance.  The 
walls  of  the  cafion  are  perpendicular  columns  of  basalt, 
not  unlike  a  diminutive  Fingal's  cave  in  appearance,  and 
nearly  a  mile  in  length,  the  center  of  this  mile  stretch 
being  broken  into  a  huge  basin  of  about  twice  the  usual 
width  of  the  stream  in  the  canon,  and  which  is  full  of 
seething  v.'hirlpools  and  eddies  where  nothing  but  a  fish 
could  live  for  a  minute.  On  the  western  rim  of  this 
basin  it  seems  as  though  one  might  descend  to  the 
water's  edge  with  a  little  Alpine  work.  Through  this 
narrow  chute  of  corrugated  rock  the  wild  waters  of  the 
great  river  rush  in  a  perfect  mass  of  milk-like  foam,  with 
a  reverberation  that  is  audible  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, the  roar  being  intensified  by  the  rocky  walls  which 
act  like  so  many  sounding  boards.  Huge  spruce  trees 
in  somber  files  overshadow  the  dark  canon,  and  it  re- 


III 


ill 


m 


I 


i 


•)r-a 


i. 


V 


M 


r'M 


i:     I 


lir 

i 


SOB 


.^..»S'. 


166 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


Sfimbles  a  deep  black  thoronglifare  paved  with  the  whit- 
est of  marble.  At  the  nortliern  outlet  of  the  cafioii,  the 
rushing  river  spreads  rapidly  into  its  former  width,  but 
abates  not  a  jot  of  its  sw;  ftness,  and  tiows  in  a  white  and 
sluiilow  sheet  over  rtefs  of  bowlders  and  bars  thickly 
studded  with  intertwining  drifts  of  huge  timber,  ten 
times  more  dangerous  for  a  boat  or  raft  than  the  narrow 
canon  itself,  although  perhaps  not  so  in  appearance. 
This  state  of  things  continues  for  about  four  miles 
further,  offering  every  j^ossible  variety  of  obstacle  in 
turn,  when  the  river  again  contracts,  hemmed  in  by  low 
basaltic  l)anks,  and  becomes  even  narrower  than  before. 
80  swift  is  it,  so  great  the  volume  of  water,  and  so  con- 
tracted the  channel,  that  half  its  water  ascends  the  slop- 
ing lianks,  runs  over  them  for  nearly  a  score  of  yards, 
and  then  falls  into  the  narrow  chute  below^  making  a 
veritable  horseshoe  funnel  of  boiling  cascades,  not  much 
wider  than  the  length  of  our  raft,  and  as  high  at  the  end 
as  her  mast.  Through  this  funnel  of  foam  the  waves 
ran  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  this  fact,  added  to  the 
boiling  that  often  forced  up  columns  of  water  like  small 
geysers  quite  a  considerable  distance  into  the  air,  made 
matters  very  uninviting  for  navigation  in  any  sort  of 
craft. 

Every  thing  being  in  readiness,  our  inspection  made, 
and  our  resolution  formed,  in  the  forenoon  of  the  second 
of  July,  we  prepared  to  "shoot"  the  raft  though  the 
rajMds  of  the  grand  canon,  and  at  11:25  the  bow  and 
stern  lines  were  cast  loose  and  after  a  few  minutes'  hard 
work  at  shoving  the  craft  out  of  the  little  eddy  where 
she  lay,  the  poor  vessel  resisting  as  if  she  knew  all  that 
was  ahead  of  her  and  was  loth  to  go,  she  finally  swung 


THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  YUKON. 


W7 


ing 


clear  of  the  point  and  like  a  racer  at  the  start  made 
almost  a  leap  forward  and  the  die  was  cast.  A  moment' s 
hesitation  at  the  canon's  brink,  and  quick  as  a  flash  the 
whirling  craft  plunged  into  the  foam,  and  before  twenty 
yards  were  made  had  collided  with  the  western  wall  of 
columnar  rock  with  a  shock  as  loud  as  a  blast,  tearing 
oif  the  inner  side  log  and  throwing  the  outer  one  far  into 
the  stream.  The  raft  swung  around  this  as  upon  a  hinge, 
just  as  if  it  had  been  a  straw  in  a  gale  of  wind,  and 
again  resumed  its  rapid  career.  In  the  whirlpool  basin 
of  the  canon  the  craft,  for  a  brief  second  or  two,  seemed 
actually  buried  out  of  sight  in  the  foam.  Had  there 
been  a  dozen  giants  on  board  they  could  have  had  no 
more  influence  in  directing  her  course  than  as  many 
spiders.  It  was  a  very  simple  matter  to  trust  the  rude 
vessel  entirely  to  fate,  and  work  out  its  own  salvation. 
I  was  most  afraid  of  the  four  miles  of  shallow  rapids 
below  after  the  canon,  but  she  only  received  a  dozen  or  a 
score  of  smart  bumps  that  started  a  log  here  and  there,  but 
tore  none  from  the  structure,  and  nothing  remained  ahead 
of  her  but  the  cascades.  These  reached,  in  a  few  minutes 
tlie  craft  was  caught  at  the  bow  by  the  first  high  wave  in  the 
funnel-like  chute  and  lifted  into  the  air  until  it  stood 
almost  at  an  angle  of  thirty  degrees,  when  it  went  through 
the  cascades  like  a  charge  of  fixed  bayonets,  and  almost 
as  swiftly  as  a  flash  of  light,  burying  its  nose  in  the  foam 
beyond  as  it  subsided.  Those  on  board  of  the  raft  now 
got  hold  of  a  line  from  their  friends  on  shore,  and  after 
breaking  it  several  times  they  finally  brought  the  craft 
alongside  the  bank  and  commenced  repairing  the  dam- 
age with  a  light  heart,  for  our  greatest  obstacle  was  now 
at  our  backs. 


V 


tfi 


I 


'i; 


I  •  i 


til! 


If 


1 P:  ' 


!.|-f 


4.!i 


''^'li:-'      F,. 


fr!.'  iii: 


Ut 


11  i;,. 


if* 


iUi 


i  I  \ 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVEH. 

Xear  tlie  spot  where  we  camped,  just  below  the  cas- 
cades that  terniinated  th(^  hmg  rajiids,  was  found  a  suudl 
grove  of  sai)liiig  spruce  through  which  the  tire  had sw<'pt 
a  year  or  two  before,  and  the  trees  were  thorouglily  sea- 
soned and  sound,  the  black  burned  bark  peeling  as  freely 
fi'om  them  as  tlie  hull  of  achestnut,  leaving ex(!el lent  light 
and  tough  poles  Avith  which  we  renewed  our  two  decks, 
our  constant  walking  over  th(^  old  ones  having  converted 
them  into  somewhat  unsatisfactory  places  for  ju'omenades 
unless  one  carefully  watched  his  fo()tstei)s.  Evidences 
of  contiagration  in  the  dense  coniferous  forests  were 
everywhere  freipient,  the  tires  arising  from  the  careless- 
ness of  the  Indian  campers,  and  from  the  making  of 
signal  smokes,  and  even  it  is  said,  from  design,  with  the 
idea  of  clearing  the  district  of  mosquitoes.  While  wait- 
ing at  the  cascades  of  the  rapids  to  repair  our  raft,  our 
fishing  tackle  was  kept  busy  to  such  an  extent  that  we 
landed  between  four  and  live  hundred  fine  grayling,  a 
fishing  ground  that  excelled  any  we  afterward  found  on 
the  Yukon  Kiver. 

Our  favorite  fishing  place  was  just  below  the  cascades, 
Aviiere  a  number  of  the  disintegrating  columns  of  basalt 
had  fallen  in,  f(n-ming  a  talus  along  which  we  could  walk 
between  the  Avater  and  the  'ill.  A  little  beyond  the 
Avail  itself  sloped  doAAn  and  ran  close  beside  the  little 
ripples  Avhere  Ave  Avere  alAAays  sure  of  a  "rise"  AA'henthe 
grayling  Avould  bite.  This  Avas  nearly  ahAays  in  tliecool 
of  the  moi'uings  or  eA'enings,  or  in  the  middle  of  the  day 
AA'hen  even  a  leAv  light  fleecy  clouds  floated  over  the  sun. 
Yet  there  Avere  times  A\'hen  they  Avould  cease  biting  as 
suddenly  as  if  they  Avere  disciplined  and  under  orders, 
and  that  Avithout  any  apparent  reason,  returning  to  the 


THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  TTll'J  YUKON. 


ICO 


bait  just  as  suddenly  and  as  mysteriously.  Light 
northern  winds  brought  fine  sunny  weather,  and  with  it 
a  perfect  deluge  of  light  brown  millers  or  moths  migrat- 
ing southward,  thousands  of  wliich  tumhlcMl  in  the 
waters  of  the  river  and  filled  every  eddy  with  their  float- 
ing bodies.     These  kept  the  grayling  busy  snapping  at 


THE    CASCADES    AT   THE    END    OF    THE    GREAT   RAVIPS. 
Head  of  Navigation  on  the  Yukon,  18C0  miles  from  Aphoon  mouth. 

them,  and  indicated  to  a  certain  degree  when  to  go  iishing, 
but  still  it  was  remarkable  that  our  efforts  should  be  so 
well  rewarded  when  there  were  so  many  living,  struggling 
bait  to  tempt  them  away  from  our  flies.  Strangest  of  all 
we  were  most  successf  id  when  casting  with  brown  flies. 
The  millers  caught  by  the  water  and  drifted  into  eddies 
would  not  be  touched,  and  it  was  only  when  a  solitary 
moth  came  floating  along  beating  its  wings  and  fluttering 


^J,'S 


4  I 


H^li 


ni\i 


'1  f 


M 


170 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


ilr 


!i      I 


III' 


on  the  sarfa(!e  around  the  swiftest  (jorners  that  a  spring 
for  it  was  at  all  certain,  and  even  then  a  brown  hackle 
dancing  around  in  the  same  place  would  nioiioitolize 
every  rise  within  the  radius  of  a  iish's  eyesight.  Our 
Tahk-heesh  friends,  who  had  been  made  useful  by  us  in 
several  ways,  such  as  carrying  elfects  over  the  i)ortage, 
helping  with  poles  and  logs,  and  so  on,  were  as  much 
surprised  at  this  novel  mode  of  lisliing  as  the  grayling 
themselves,  and  expressed  their  astonishment,  in  guttural 
grunts.  They  regarded  themselves  as  admitted  to  high 
favor  when  we  gave  them  a  few  of  the  flies  as  presents. 
They  ate  all  the  spare  grayling  we  chose  to  give  them, 
which  Avas  often  nearly  a  dozen  apiece,  and,  in  fact,  dur- 
ing the  three  or  four  days  we  were  )gether  their  subsis- 
tence was  almost  altogether  derived  from  this  source,  as 
we  had  no  provisions  to  spare  them.  The  largest  gray- 
ling we  caught  weighed  two  pounds  and  a  quarter,  but 
we  had  the  same  invariable  two  sizes  already  mentioned. 


with  here  and  there  a  slight  deviation  in 


grade. 


These 


grayling  were  the  most  persistent  biters  I  ever  saw  rise 
to  a  fly,  and  more  uncertain  than  these  uncertain  fish 
usually  are  in  grasping  for  a  bait,  for  there  were  times 
when  I  really  believe  we  got  fifty  or  sixty  rises  from  a 
single  fish  before  he  was  hooked  or  the  contest  aban- 
doned. 

The  portage  made  by  the  Indians  around  the  canon 
and  rapids  was  over  quite  a  high  ridge  just  the  length  of 
the  canon,  and  then  descended  abruptly  with  a  dizzy 
incline  into  a  valley  which,  after  continuing  nearly  down 
to  the  cascades,  again  ascended  a  sandy  hill  that  was 
very  difficult  to  climb.  The  hilly  part  around  the  canon 
was  pretty  thoroughly  covered  with  small  pines  and 


Tin<:  GRAND  CANOX  OF  THE  YUKON. 


171 


spruce,  and  all  alony  the  i)()rtage  trail  some  iiiiiKU's  \vlio 
liad  been  over  it  had  out  these*  down  near  tlie  path  and 
felled  them  across  it,  and  had  then  barked  theiii  on  their 
upper  sides,  forming  stationary  skids  along  which  they 
could  drag  their  whip-sawed  boats.  Two  large  logs 
phi  ;ed  together  on  the  steep  dec^livity,  and  well  trinmi«'(l 
of  their  limbs  and  bark,  made  good  inclines  on  which  the 
boat  or  boats  could  be  low<'red  into  the  valley  below. 
Here  they  had  floated  their  boats  by  towlines  down  to 
the  cascades,  around  which  jwint  they  had  again  dragged 
them.  It  may  readily  be  imagined  that  such  a  chapparal 
of  felled  brush  and  poles  across  our  path  did  hot  improve 
the  walking  in  the  least.  It  was  a  continued  case  of 
hurdle  walking  the  whole  distance.  The  day  we  walked 
over  the  trail  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  canon  and  rapids 
was  one  of  the  hottest  and  most  insufferable  I  ever 
experienced,  and  every  time  we  sat  down  it  was  only  to 
have  "a regular  down-east  fog  "  of  mosquitoes  come  buz- 
zing around,  and  the  steady  swaying  of  arms  and  the 
constant  slapping  of  the  face  was  an  exercise  fully  as 
vigorous  as  tluit  of  traveling.  Our  only  safe  plan  was 
to  walk  along  brandishing  a  great  handful  of  evergreens 
from  shoulder  to  shoulder.  As  we  advanced  the  mos- 
quitoes invariably  kept  the  same  distance  ahead,  as  if 
they  had  not  the  remotest  idea  we  were  coming  toward 
them.  An  occasional  vicious  reach  forward  through  the 
mass  with  the  evergreens  would  have  about  as  much 
effect  in  removing  them  as  it  would  in  dispersing  the 
same  amount  of  fog,  for  it  seemed  as  if  they  could  dodge 
a  streak  of  lightning.  Nothing  was  better  than  a  good 
strong  wind  in  one's  fa(;e,  and  as  one  emerged  from  the 
brush  or  timber  it  was  simply  delicious  to  feel  the  cool 


I    'I!:,' 

■■   MJ'' 


M 


178 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GRKAT  lilVh'li. 


tnf 


1  ! 


ti:' 


i!  I 


brcczo  on  one's  iM'ppcn'd  hictt  iind  to  see  tlie  rnscalH  dis- 
sil)l)»*ar.  Our  bucks,  liowever,  wore  even  tlicn  spotted 
with  tlieni,  still  cniwlin^'  alon^  and  testing  every  thread 
in  one's  eoat  to  see  if  they  could  not  find  a  thin  hole 
where  they  mi^ht  bore  throuj^li.  Onee  in  the  breeze,  it 
was  comical  to  turn  around  slowly  and  see  their  efforts 
to  kt'ep  under  the  lee  of  one's  hunting-  shirt,  as  one  by 
one  they  lose  their  hold  and  are  wafted  away  in  the 
wind.  If  these  pests  had  been  almost  unbearable  before, 
they  now  became  simply  fiendish  while  we  were  repairing 
our  raft ;  nothing  could  be  done  unless  a  wind  Avas  blowing 
or  unless  we  stood  in  a  smoke  from  the  resinous  pine  or 
spruce  so  thick  that  the  eyes  remained  in  an  acute  state 
of  inflammation.  Mosquito  netting  over  the  hat  was  not 
an  infallible  remedy  and  was  greatly  in  the  way  when  at 
work. 

A  fair  wind  one  day  made  me  think  it  possible  to  take 
a  hunt  inland,  but,  to  my  disgust,  it  died  down  after  I 
had  proceeded  two  or  three  miles,  and  my  fight  back  to 
cjimp  with  the  mosquitoes  I  shall  always  remember  as 
one  of  the  salient  points  of  my  life.  It  seemed  as  if  there 
was  an  upward  rain  of  insects  from  the  grass  that  became 
a  deluge  over  marshy  tracts,  and  more  than  half  the 
ground  was  marshy.  Of  course  not  a  sign  of  any  game 
was  seen  except  a  few  old  tracks  ;  and  the  tracks  of  an 
animal  are  about  the  only  part  of  it  that  could  exist  here 
in  the  mosquito  season,  which  lasts  from  the  time  the 
snow  is  half  off  the  ground  until  the  first  severe  frost,  a 
period  of  some  three  or  four  months.  During  that  time 
every  living  creature  that  can  leave  the  valleys  ascends 
the  mountains,  (closely  following  the  snowline,  and  even 
there  peace  is  not  completely  attained,  the  exposure  to 


THE  an  AND  CANON  OF  THE  YUKON. 


173 


the  winds  bcirii;  of  fur  morobondit  tliiiii  the  coolness  <liie 
to  the  altitude,  while  the  niosciuitoes  are  h'ft  undisimted 
masters   of    the   valleys,    except   for   a   few  stra<'-i'li!im- 
aniiuals  on  their  way  from  one  range  of  mountains  to  tln^ 
other.     Had  there  been  any  game,  and  had  I  obtained 
a  fair  shot,  I  honestly  doubt  if  1  could  have  secured  it 
owing  to  these  pests,  not  altogether  on  juM'ount  of  their 
ravenous  attacks  upon  my  face,  and  especially  the  eyes, 
but  for  the  reason  that  they  were  absolutely  so  dense 
that  it  was  impossible  to  see  clearly  through  the  mass  in 
taking  aim.     AVhen  I  got  back  to  camp  I  was  thoroughly 
exhausted  with  my  incessant  light  and  completely  out  of 
breath,  which  I  had  to  regain  as  best  I  could  in  a  stilling 
smoke  from  dry  resinous  pine  knots.     A  traveler  who 
had  spent  a  summer  on  the  Lower  Yukon,  where  I  did 
not  find  the  pests  so  bad  on  my  journey  as  on  the  upper 
river,  was  of  ojiinion  that  a  nervous  person  witliont  a 
mask  would  soon  be  killed  by  nervous  prostration,  unless 
he  were  to  take  refuge  in  mid-stream.     I  know  that  the 
native  dogs  are  killed  by  the  mosquitoes  under  certain 
circumstances,  and  I  heard  reports,  which  I  believe  to  be 
well  founded,  both  from  Indians  and  trustworthy  white 
persons,  that  the  great  brown  bear — erroneously  but 
commonly  called  the  grizzly — of  these  regions  is  at  times 
compelled  to  succumb  to  these  insects.     The  statement 
seems  almost  preposterous,  but  the  explanation  is  com- 
paratively simple.     Bruin  havin^  exhausted  all  the  roots 
and  berries  on  one  mountain,  or  finding  them  scarce, 
thinks  he  will  cross  the  valley  to  another  range,  or  per- 
haps it  is  the  odor  of  salmon  washed  up  along  the  river's 
banks  that  attracts  him.     Covered  with  a  heavy  fur  on 
his  body,  his  eyes,   nose  and  ears  are  the  vulnerable 


%l 


UIWI7' ' 


li.l 


i'fi; 


fij! 
I'' 


M  ■' 


li1 


If 


.  *;  1 


174 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


])oiiits  for  mosquitoes,  and  liere  of  course  tliey  con- 
g  regate  in  the  greatest  numbers.  At  last  when  lie  reaches 
a  swan'py  stretch  tliey  rist*  in  myriads  until  his  fore- 
paws  are  kept  so  busy  as  he  strives  to  keep   his  eyes 

\5. 


ALASKA    HUOAVN    r.KAK    FIGHTINi;    MOSQUITOKS. 

dear  of  them  that  he  can  not  walk,  whereupon  he 
becomes  enraged,  and  bear-like,  rises  on  his  haunches  to 
fight.  It  is  now  a  mere  question  of  time  until  the  bear's 
eyes  become  so  swollen  from  innumerable  bites  as  to 
render  him  perfectly  blind,  wdien  he  wanders  helplessly 
about  until  he  gets  mired  in  the  marsh,  and  so  starves 
to  death 


CILVPTEll  VII  [. 


DOWN  Till-:  RIVEU  TO  SELKIKK. 


NE  evening  about  eight 
o'clock,  wliile  encamped 
below  the  cascades,  we 
could  hoar  dull,  heavy  con- 
cussions occurring  at  intervals 
of  two  or  throe  minutes.  The 
sound  did  not  at  all  resemble 
that  of  distant  thunder,  and 
moreove",  tlie  sky  was  cloud- 
less. Earthquakes  were  sug- 
iN  Tiiii  KINK  uAPiDs.  gostod,  but  tlio  thoory  did  not 
seem  plausible,  a^nd  we  were  compelled  to  attribute  it  to 
the  cascades,  which,  I  l)elieve,  have  been  known  to  cause 
earth  tremblings  andjinalogous  phenomena. 

I  noticed  that  a  Tahk-heesh  Indian  in  arranging  his 
head  and  breast  bands  for  a  load  to  be  carried  on  his 
back,  adjusted  them  as  follows  Tlie  breast-band  was 
grasped  in  the  cent(M'  by  tho  palm  of  the  hand,  and  when 
l)ulled  out  taut  if  i\w  elbow  oC  tlu^  packer  just  touched 
the  load, — box,  bag  or  bundle, — it  was  considered  to  be 
in  proper  condition  to  carry.  The  In-east  l)and  adjusted, 
the  IkmuI  band  is  also  pulbnl  out,  and  between  the  two 
tlioi'o  must  be  the  width  of  the  packer's  hand  ;  the  head- 
band, which  is  not  always  used,  being  the  longer.     I  had 


il 


'it 

■  1 

1 

If 

M 


in 


::!:i 


{    I 


I 


m 


irii 


I       t 

!  i 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RTVER. 

hitherto  iiotic^'d  this  maiiuer  of  aiTun.uli.i''  the  load  when 
among  my  Chilkat  packers  ;  tlie  mos-  lingular  feature 
of  it  Ix'in^-  that  the  l>reast  haml  pa.sses  over  the  arms  so 
as  to  pinion  tiiem  to  tlie  sides,  making  tibem  apparently 
useless  w  lien  th<'  nK>Kt  »<'M>ded'. 


CLAY    Itl.UFFS    ON    THE    Uri'KK    VUKt»N. 

On  the  nth  of  July  we  again  got  underway  on  our  raft. 
Foi-  the  lii-st  few  miles,  eight  or  ten,  the  river  is  very  swift 
and  occasionally  breaks  into  light  rapids,  although  I 
believe  a  powerful  light-draft  river  steamer,  such  as  are 
user]  on  the  shallow  western  rivers,  could  easily  sur- 
mount all  the  bad  places  've  saw  below  the  cascades  of 


-A 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


177 


the  great  rapids.  If  I  am  right  in  my  conjectures  npon 
this  point,  the  Yukon  lliver  is  navigable  for  180(5  niih}s 
from  the  Aphoon  or  northernmost  mouth  of  its  delta. 

Shortly  after  noon  Ave  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Tahk- 
heen'-aorTahk  River  coming  in  fi'om  the  Av<'st.  which  is 
about  two-thirds  the  size  of  the  Yukon.  ])y  following 
it  to  its  head,  where  the  Indians  say  is  a  large  lake,  the 
traveler  arrives  at  the  Chilkat  portage,  the  relation  of 
which  w  itli  the  Chilkoot  trail  has  already  been  notico(L 
From  this  point  onmyChilkatguide,  Indijinne,  wnsmuch 
more  familiar  with  the  country,  havin":  been  over  the 
Chilkat  trail  many  times,  and  oA'er  th(^.  Chilkoot  ])()rtnge 
but  once  when  a  snu\ll  boy.  From  the  cascades  to  the 
Tahk  River,  a  distance  of  nearly  tw(>ntv-iive  miles,  the 
banks  of  the  Yukon  are  quite  liigh  and  often  broken  into 
perpendicular  bluffs  of  white  clay,  whose  rolling  ci'escent- 
shaped  crowns  were  densely  covered  with  pine  and 
spruce.  While  the  Tahk-heen'-a  is  the  smaller  stream, 
its  bed  and  valley  apparently  determine  the  general  char- 
acteristics of  the  river  beyond  its  coniluence.the  high  bold 
bluffs  of  clay  just  mention  m1  being  from  tliis  point  su(!- 
ceeded  by  lower  shores  wooded  to  the  water's  edge. 

The  Tahk-heen'-a,  like  all  streams  not  interspei-sed  with 
lakes  on  its  npper  course,  carries  ipiite  nuuldy  water, 
and  we  all  felt  a  little  uneasy  about  our  line  gi-ayling  iislKM-- 
ies,  a  foreboding  well  foundcMl,  for  they  diminislKHl  with  an 
exasperating  suddtmness,  our  evenings  seldom  being 
rewarded,  with  more  than  two  or  1hi'(>e. 

The  last  of  the  chain  of  lakes  Avas  reached  the  same 
day  at  5  P.  m.,  and  we  wei'e  ])revente(l  from  taking  ad- 
vantage of  a  good  Avind  l)y  a  tiii'ecOiours'  deleiiliou  on  a 
sand-bar  that  stretched  almost  entirely  across  the  ri Acer's 


:l1 


U 


1 


i 


iW 


■| 


[?•:•" 


I  i  ii 


^11 ! 


I 


!(!. 


1  : 

J 

i; 

,■1 
1 

;;• 

178    • 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


moutli.  This  bar  had  a  deep  channel  on  either  side  of  it. 
and  wlien  our  most  strenuous  efforts  completely  failed 
to  get  the  raft  off,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to 
put  the  load  ashore,  and  as  wading  was  impossible,  the 
Cottonwood  canoe  was  brought  into  action,  slow  as  the 
method  was.  Not  having  been  used  much  lately  its 
condition  was  unknown,  and  as  soon  as  we  launched  it, 
the  water  came  pouring  in  from  a  dozen  cracks  where  the 
gum  had  scaled  off.  One  very  vicious  looking  hole  was  sud- 
den! y  developed  in  the  bow  as  the  first  load  went  ashore, 
and  "Billy"  undertook  to  overcome  this  difficulty  by 
putting  most  of  the  load  in  the  stern,  taking  his  own  place 
there  so  as  to  allow  the  bow  to  stand  well  out  of  the  water. 
With  every  load  the  leak  grew  worse,  and  about  the  fourth 
or  fifth  trip  there  was  a  most  desperate  struggle  between 
the  canoeman  and  the  leak  to  see  which  would  conquer 
before  they  reached  the  shore,  the  result  being  a  partial 
victory  for  both,  the  canoe's  head  going  under  watex  just 
as  it  reached  the  shore,  upon  which  there  was  a  hurried 
scramble  to  unload  it  without  damage. 

This  lake  was  called  by  the  Indians  Kluk-tas'-si ;  and, 
as  it  was  one  of  the  very  few  pronounceable  names  of 
Indian  derivation  in  this  section  of  the  country,  I  re- 
tained it,  alihough  it  is  possible  that  this  may  be  the 
Lake  Labarge  of  some  books,  :hr  fact  that  it  is  the  first 
lake  above  the  site  of  old  Fort  Selkirk  being  the  only 
geographical  datum  in  its  favor,  while  all  its  other  rela- 
tions to  pqual  points  of  importance  are  opposed  to  the 
theory.  In  fact,  it  had  evidently  been  mapped  by  the 
merest  guesswork  from  vngiie  Indian  reports. 

I  hope  I  shall  be  excused  for  again  reviving  the  sul)ject 
of  conjectural  geography,  so  uncertain  in  its  results  and 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


179 


M 


so  prevalent  in  Alaskan  charts,  especially  those  relating 
to  the  interior,  even  when  they  are  of  an  official  charac- 
ter. If  the  self-satisfaction  of  these  parlor  map-makers 
has  been  gratified  in  following  unknown  rivers  and 
mountains  wherever  their  fancy  and  imagination  led 
them,  and  no  other  harm  resulted,  one  conversant  with 
the  facts  might  dismiss  the  manifold  errors  that  occur 
in  their  charts  with  a  contemptuous  smile  at  the  method 
pursued.  But  that  harm  of  the  most  serious  nature  can 
result  from  these  geographical  conjectures  is  evident 
from  the  following  true  story  told  me  by  the  person  in- 
terested. A  party  of  miners  had  crossed  the  Chilkoot 
trail  and  were  on  a  "  i)rospecting  tour"  down  the  river 
and  lakes.  Discouraged  at  the  outlook  as  to  finding 
gold  or  silver  in  x^aying  quantities,  there  was  consider- 
able diversity  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  propriety  of 
any  further  advance  in  such  a  wild  unexplored  country, 
the  majority  advoca^'ng  a  return.  Among  their  number 
was  a  young  lawyer,  a  graduate  of  an  eastern  college,  I 
believe,  r^ho  had  joined  the  party  in  the  hope  of  finding 
adventures  and  of  repairing  liis  health,  which  !!^ad  suffered 
from  too  close  am  application  to  his  professional  studies. 
Having  in  his  possession  an  official  government  chart 
which  pretended  to  map  the  route  over  which  he  had 
come  as  well  as  that  ahead  of  him,  although  he  had  re- 
ceived ])roof  of  its  untrustwortliiness  in  the  past,  he  re- 
solved to  trust  it  once  more.  Numerous  Indian  villages 
and  towns  were  shown  upon  the  chart  at  conveni<^nt  in- 
tervals along  the  remainder  of  the  route.  He  thought 
the  villages  might  not  be  just  where  they  were  marked, 
but  believed  that  in  the  main  their  number  and  positions 
were  at  least  approximately  correct.    Basing  his  expect- 


mm 


iH 


. '  11 


«iiiwii>iiw>,> 


ilMH»''^ 


'•mi'w^^ifvm}\  fi^'f  i 


::    J 


M 


III 


I 


'  i  I 


180 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


ations  on  tlio  help  to  be  obtained  from  these  numer- 
ous Indian  villages,  he  announced  to  the  j)arty  his  deter- 
mination to  continue  his  travels,  whatever  might  be  the 
conclusion  to  which  the  others  should  come,  pointing  out 
the  hospitality  which  they  had  received  from  the  Indians 
they  had  previously  met,  and  expressing  his  expectation 
of  meeting  many  others  as  friendly.  Whether  his  rea- 
soning influenced  them  or  not  I  have  forgotten,  and  it 
matters  but  littlv.%  but  at  any  rate  the  party  gave  up  the 
idea  of  returning  and  continued  on  drifting  down  the  river 
and  prospecting  wherever  the  conditions  seemed  favor- 
able, until  old  Fort  Selkirk  was  reached,  when  they  as- 
cended the  Pelly,  uj)on  the  bars  of  which  stream  the  pros- 
I)ect  of  linding  gold  was  greatest.  During  all  this  long 
Journey  not  a  single  Indian  was  seen  by  the  party,  and 
only  one  deserted  house,  with  an  occasional  peeled  spruce 
pole  at  long  intervals  that  marked  the  temi)orary  camps 

of  the  few  Avandering  natives.      Young  C took  the 

jokes  of  his  companions  upon  his  chart  and  its  Indian 
towns  good-naturedly  enough,  and  the  map  was  nailed 
to  a  big  spruce  tree  and  used  for  a  target  for  rifle  prac- 
tice, but  he  often  spoke  to  me  in  a  far  different  strain  as 
he  recounted  the  chances  of  his  taking  the  journej'  alone 
aided  solel}^  by  this  worthless  map.  In  fact  there  is  not 
an  official  or  government  maj)  of  Alaska,  that,  taken  as 
a  whole,  is  worth  the  ink  Avitli  which  it  is  printed.  Limi- 
ted explorations  and  surveys  in  this  vast  territory,  such 
as  tliost' of  Captain  Raymond  on  the  Yukon,  Lieutenant, 
Ray  ( iU  tlie  Arctic  Const.  Lieutenant  Stoney  on  the  Put- 
nam river,  and  many  others,  are  undoubtedly  excellent, 
second  to  none  in  the  world  made  under  similar  circum- 
stances, and  confined  strictly  to  the  country  actually 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


181 


traversed  by  each,  with  broken  line  delineations  in  snr- 
rounding  districts,  indicating-  conjectures;  but  as  soon  as 
these  or  such  portions  of  them  as  the  AVashiiigton  com- 
piler may  see  lit  to  take,  are  dumped  into  agreiit  ma})  of 
Alaska,  they  are  so  mixed  with  conjectui'nl  topography 
and  map  work  that  one  must  kn(nv  the  history  ol 
Alaskan  exploration  about  as  well  as  the  history  of  his 
own  life  to  be  able  to  discriminate  between  the  gootl  and 
the  worthless. 

Like  Lake  Marsh,  Kluk-tas-si  is  full  of  mudbanks 
along  its  shores  ;  its  issuing  waters  being  ck'iir  us  a 
mountain  stream,  while  its  incoming  tributaries  are 
loaded  with  earthy  deposits.  So  full  of  these  is  Klulc- 
las-si,  and  so  much  more  contracted  is  the  waterway 
through  them,  that  we  thought  we  could  detect  a  slight 
current  when  making  our  way  along  in  the  blue  wjiter. 
This  Avas  especially  noticeable  when  the  wind  died  down 
to  a  calm.  In  si)ite  of  all  this,  Kluk-tas-si  offered  fewer 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  making  landings  than  Lake 
Marsh.  It  seemed  to  me  tliat  but  a  brief  geological 
period  must  elapse  before  these  lakes  are  filled  with 
deposits,  their  new^  shores  covered  Avitli  timber,  and 
their  beds  contracted  to  the  dimensions  of  the  river. 
Such  ancient  lakes  appear  to  occur  in  the  course  of  the 
stream  further  on, 

AVe  started  at  seven  in  the  morning  and  were  occ-upied 
until  eight  in  rowing  and  sailing  through  the  tortuous 
channel  which  led  to  blue  water  in  the  deep  portion  of 
tlu-  lake.  'r(j  keej)  this  channel  readily  we  sent  the 
Indians  ahead  in  the  canoe,  Avho  sounded  Avith  their 
long  paddles,  and  by  signals  indicated  the  d(M»pest  i)arts. 
In  spite  of  their  exertions  Ave  stuck  a  c()ui)le  of  times, 


i! 


i!^/ 


Pi.. 


m 


m 


11.:] 
""I 


IF^ 


mm 


182 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


:■■;:' 


1 1' 


i,».i . 


and  had  to  lower  sail  and  jump  overboard.  The  wind 
kept  slowly  increasing  and  by  the  time  we  set  the  full 
spread  of  our  sail  in  bold  water,  we  were  forging  along 
at  such  a  rate  that  we  put  out  a  trolling  spoon,  but  noth- 
ing was  caught,  the  huge  craft  probably  frightening 
every  thing  away.  The  wind  died  down  and  sprang  up 
again  several  times  during  the  day,  but  every  time  it 
arose  it  wjis  in  our  favor.  That  evening  by  the  time  we 
reached  Camp  21,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake,  we 
luid  scored  about  thirteen  miles,  a  very  good  reckoning 
for  lake  travel  any  time. 

The  west  bank  of  this  lake  is  very  picturesque  about 
fourteen  or  fifteen  miles  from  its  southern  entrance,  large 
towers  and  bastion-like  projections  of  red  rock  uphetiv- 
ing  theii"  huge  flanks  upon  what  seems  to  be  a  well- 
marked  island,  but  which  is  in  reality  a  part  of  the 
mainland,  as  our  Indians  assured  us.  According  to  the 
same  authorities  a  river  comes  in  here  at  this  point,  hav- 
ing shores  of  the  same  formation,  and  called  by  them 
the  Red  River.  The  frequency  of  this  name  in  Ameri- 
can geographical  nomenclature  was  to  me  sufficient 
reason  for  abandoning  it ;  and  I  gave  the  name  of  Rich- 
thofen  to  the  rocks  and  river  (the  latter,  however,  not 
having  been  seen  by  us),  after  Freiherr  von  Richthofen 
of  Leipsic,  well  known  in  geographical  science.  The 
next  evening  was  a  still  and  beautiful  one,  with  the  lake's 
surface  lilve  a  mirror,  and  the  reflection  of  the  red  rocks 
in  the  quiet  water  made  the  most  striking  scene  on  our 
trip  ;  two  warm  pictures  of  rosy  red  in  the  sinking  sun 
joined  base  to  base  by  a  thread  of  silver,  at  the  edge  of 
the  other  shore.  The  eastern  shores  of  the  lake  seem  to 
be  formed  of  high  rounded  hills  of  light  gray  limestone, 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


183 


picturesquely  striped  with  the  foliage  of  tlie  dark  ever- 
green growing  in  the  ravines.  From  the  lalce  the  con- 
trast was  very  pretty,  and  showed  a  regiilarity  that 
scarcely  seemed  the  work  of  nature.  I  named  them 
the  Hancock  Hills  after  General  Hancock  of  the  army. 
A  number  of  salmon-trout  were  caught  in  this  lake  (tlie 
first  one  was  caught  in  Lake  Nares),  the  largest  of  which 
weighed  over  eight  pounds,  that  being  the  limit  of  the 
pocket  scales  of  the  doctor.  Saturday  the  7th  gave  us 
the  most  conflicting  winds,  and  although  we  were  upon 
the  waters  of  Kluk-tas-si,  for  twelve  hours  we  made  but 
nine  miles,  a  head  wind  driving  us  into  Camp  22. 

AVe  did  not  fillow  the  8th  to  tempt  us  on  the  lake  so 
readily,  and  the  day  was  employed  in  taking  astronomi- 
cal observations,  arranging  our  photographic  apparatus 
and  similar  work,  until  early  afternoon.  At  1.30  v:y\. 
a  favorable  breeze  from  the  south  sprang  up,  and  by  2 
o'clock  was  raging  in  a  gale,  blowing  over  the  tent  where 
we  were  eating  our  midday  meal,  filling  the  coffee  ai)d 
eatables  with  sand  and  gravel,  and  causing  a  general 
scampering  and  chasing  a:^ter  the  lighter  articles  of  our 
equipment,  which  took  flight  in  the  furious  wind.  j\Iost 
exasperating  of  all,  it  quickly  determined  us  to  break 
camp,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  we  had  all  of  our 
effects  stored  on  the  vessel,  and  were  pulling  off  the 
beach,  when  just  as  our  sail  was  spread  the  wind  died 
down  to  a  zephyr  hardly  sufl[icient  to  keep  away  the 
mosquitoes.  At  7  o'clock  the  lake  was  as  quiet  as  can 
be  imagined,  and  after  remaining  almost  motionless  for 
another  hour  we  pulled  into  the  steep  bank,  made  our 
beds  on  the  slanting  declivity  at  a  place  where  it  was 
impossible  to  pitch  a  tent,  and  went  to  sleep  only  to  be 


!M 


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w 


!  • 


III    't.M 


It. 


I  i 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

au'iikeiiecl  at  night  by  showers  of  rain  fjilling  upon  our 
iilitiirnotl  faces.  W(^  congiatiihited  ourselves  that  we 
were  in  a  phiee  where  the  drainage  was  good. 

In  the  sluillow  water  near  the  shores  of  Lake  Kliilv- 
tassi,  esi)et'ially  wliere  a  little  bar  of  pretty  white  sand 
l)ut  out  into  the  banks  of  glacier  mud,  one  could  always 
tind  innumerable  shoals  of  small  graylings  not  over  an 


1?    , 


OUTLET    OF    LAKE    KLl'KTASSI. 
Terminal  Butte  of  the  Hancock  nills  (on  the  right). 

inch  in  length,  and  our  Indians  immediately  improvised 
a  mosquito  bar  into  a  fish  net,  catching  hundreds  of  the 
little  fellows,  which  were  used  so  su(!cessfully  as  bait 
with  the  larger  fish  of  the  lake  that  we  finally  thought 
the  end  justified  the  means. 

Instead  of  dying  down  as  we  spread  sail  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  9th,  the  wind  actually  freshened,  upsetting 
allourprognostications,  and  sending  us  along  at  a  rate  that 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


185 


we 


allowed  us  to  tmter  the  river  early  in  the  fo^'iioon,  and 
I  doubt  if  the  be^ieger.s  of  u  fortress  ever  saw  its  fia^-  ^o 
down  with  more  satisfaction  tlian  we  saw  tlie  rude  wall- 
tent  sail  come  down  forever,  and  left  behind  us  the  most 
tedious  and  uncertain  method  of  navigatifm  an  explorer 
was  ever  called  upon  to  attempt — a  clumsy  raft  on  a 
motionless  lake,  at  the  sport  of  variable  winds.  Our 
joy  was  somewhat  dampened  at  sticking  several  times  on 
the  bars,  one  of  which  delayed  lis  over  half  an  hour. 

In  all  these  rivers  just  after  emerging  from  the 
lakes  the  current  was  quite  swift,  and  so  shallow  in  many 
places  as  almost  to  deserve  the  name  of  rapids.  This 
was  particularly  the  case  where  the  swift  stream  cut  into 
the  high  banks  that  loomed  some  forty  to  sixty  feet 
above  us  as  we  rushed  by,  a  top  stratum  that  I'ested  upon 
the  stiff  yellow  clay  being  full  of  rounded  bowlders, 
which,  when  undermined,  were  letdown  into  the  river's 
bed,  choking  it  i)artially  with  most  dangerous-looking 
obstacles. 

During  the  whole  day  we  w^re  passing  through  burned 
districts  of  heavy  timber  that  looked  dismal  enough, 
backed,  as  they  were,  by  dense  clouds  of  black  smoke 
rising  ahead  of  us,  showing  plainly  that  the  devastation 
was  still  going  on.  ^fany  of  these  sweepings  of  fire  were 
quite  old  ;  so  old,  in  fact,  that  the  dark  rotting  trunks 
had  become  mere  banks  of  brown  stretched  along  the 
ground,  the  blackened  bark  of  the  stumps  being  the  only 
testimony  as  to  the  manner  of  its  destruction.  Others, 
again,  were  so  recent  that  the  last  rain  had  not  yet 
bt'iiten  the  white  ashes  from  their  blackened  limbs, 
wi'ile  late  that  evening  we  dashed  through  the  region  of 
smoke  and  Hame  we  had  discerned  earlier  in  the  day. 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  S72-4S03 


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186 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


Tt  is  wonderful  wluit  <;re;it  wide  .strips  of  river  these 
Haines  will  cross,  i)rol)iil)ly  carried  by  tli«^  lii^h  winds, 
when  light  hnnches  of  dry,  resinous  matter  are  in  a 
l)la/e.  \V(;  saw  one  instance  which,  however,  must  \n\  a 
rare  one,  of  a  blazin*^  tret;  that  fell  into  the  water,  where 
it  immediately  found  a  hydrostatic  eiiuilibrium,  so  that 
its  ui)i)er  branches  continued  on  iire,  blazing  and  smok- 
ing away  like  a  small  steam  launch.  It  might  readily 
have  crossed  the  river  as  it  iloated  down,  and  becoming 
<'ntangled  in  the  dry  driftwood  of  the'  opi>osite  bank, 
have  been  the  nucleus  of  Ji  new  conilagration,  the  Hunts 
of  which  Avould  have  been  determined  by  the  wind  and 
the  nature  of  theniaterial  in  its  i)ath.  Of  course,  in  such 
an  intricate  wilderness  of  black  and  brown  trunks  and 
stumps,  any  kind  of  ganu^  that  approaches  to  black  in 
color,  such  as  a  moos(;  or  black  or  brown  beai- ;  in 
fact,  anv  thing  darker  than  a  snow-white  niounttiin- 
goat,  can  easily  avoid  the  most  eagle-eyed  hunter,  by 
sinii)ly  ke(»ping  still,  since  it  could  scarcely  be  distin- 
guished at  any  distance  above  a  hundred  yards. 

The  western  banks  at  one  stretch  of  the  river  con- 
sisted of  high  precipitous  banks  of  clay,  fringed  with 
timber  jit  the  summit.  In  one  of  the  many  little  gul- 
lies that  cleft  the  top  of  the  bank  into  a  series  of  roll- 
ing crescents,  a  member  of  the  party  perceived  and 
drew  our  attention  to  a  brown  stump  which  seemed  to 
have  an  unusual  resend)lance  to  a  "grizzly  bear,"  to 
use  his  ex])ression.  The  resemblance  was  marked  by 
all  to  such  an  extent  that  the  stump  was  closely 
watched,  and  when,  as  we  were  from  four  to  six  hundred 
yards  away,  the  stump  ])icked  up  its  roots  and  began  to 
walk  down  the  slope,  there  was  a  general  scrambling 


DOWX  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


1S7 


around  for  guns,  giving  the  stump  an  intimation  that  all 
was  not  right,  and  with  one  good  looli  from  a  couple  of 
knots  on  its  side,  it  disappeared  among  the  re^;t  of  tlie 
timber  before  a  sliot  at  a  reas<mable  distance  could  be 
tired.  Thereafter  our  guns  were  liept  in  a  more  con- 
venient position  for  such  drift  tindier. 

After  we  liad  made  a  good  forty  miles  that  day,  we 
felt  perfectly  justified  in  going  into  cam])  and  about  seven 
o'clock  we  commenced  looking  for  one.  The  river  was 
uniformly  wide,  without  a  break  that  would  give  slack 
water  where  we  could  decrease  our  rapid  pace,  and  that 
day  commenced  an  experience  such  as  I  have  treated  of 
in  the  chapter  on  rafting.  Not  knowing  the  efficacy  of 
this  method  at  the  time,  we  did  not  lind  a  camp  until 
8:15,  but  back  of  us  lay  over  forty-five  miles  of  distance 
traversed,  which  ami)ly  compensated  us  for  the  slight 
annoyance.  Ahead  of  us  tliere  still  hung  dense  clouds 
of  smoke  which  seemed  as  if  the  whole  world  was  on 
fire  in  that  direction.  An  hour  or  so  after  camping 
(Xo.  24)  a  couple  of  miners  came  into  camp,  ragged  and 
hungry,  the  most  woe-begone  objects  I  ever  saw.  They 
belonged  to  a  party  that  numbered  nearly  a  dozen  and 
who  had  started  about  a  month  ahead  of  us.  These  two 
had  left  a  third  at  camp  about  a  mile  up  the  river  (from 
which  point  they  had  seen  us  float  by),  and  were  return- 
ing to  civilization  in  order  to  allow  the  rest  of  the  party 
food  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  continue  prospecting. 
The  party,  at  starting,  had  intended  to  eke  out  their 
civilized  provisions  Avith  large  game  from  time  to  time, 
in  order  to  carry  them  through  the  summer.  They  were 
well  armed  and  had  several  practical  hunters  with  them, 
who  had  often  carried  out  this  plan  while  prospecting  in 


i 


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ih 


I,    M 


!i  . 


188 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


\vli;it  [sccincd  to  Ix;  less  favored  localitios  for^^amo.  Their 
(.'xpcrieiice  ('onfirnicd  tlio  Indian  rei)oits  that  the  caiihou 
and  nioos(»  follow  the  snow-line  us  it  retreats  up  the 
mountains  in  the  short  summer  of  this  country,  in  older 
to  avoid  tin;  mosquitoes,  with  the  exception  only  of  a 
few  stra,ij:^dei"s  here  and  there,  on  which  no  reliance  can 
be  ])laced.  It  was  certainly  a  most  formidable  under- 
takin,!^  for  these  I'a^'^ed,  almost  barefooted  men  to  A\alk 
back  through  such  a  country  as  I  have  already  de- 
scribed,  with  but  a  mere  pittance  of  food  in  their  haver- 
sacks. Possessing  no  reliable  mai)s,  they  were  obliged 
to  follow  the  tortuous  river,  for  fejir  of  losing  it,  since  it 
was  their  only  guide  out  of  the  country.  Large  tribu- 
taries coining  in  from  the  west,  which  was  the  side  they 
had  chosen,  often  forced  them  to  go  many  weary  miles 
into  the  interior  before  they  could  be  crossed.  They 
ho])(Ml  to  iind  an  Indian  canoe  by  the  time  the  lakes 
were  reaclu^d,  but  from  the  scarcity  of  these  ci-aft  I 
doubt  if  their  hopes  were  (n'er  realized.  I  heard  after- 
ward that  they  had  suffered  considerably  on  this  return 
tri]),  especially  in  crossing  through  the  Perrier  Pass,  and 
had  to  be  rescued  in  the  Dayay  Valley  by  Indians  from 
the  Haines  Mission. 

The  country  was  constantly  getting  more  open  as  we 
proceeded,  and  now  looked  like  the  rolling  hill-land  of 
old  England.  By  the  word  open,  however.  I  do  not 
mean  to  imply  the  absence  of  timber,  for  the  growth  of 
spruce  and  pine  on  the  hills  and  of  the  deciduous  trees 
in  the  valleys  continued  as  dense  as  ever,  and  so  re- 
mained nearly  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  varying,  how- 
ever, in  regard  to  size  and  species. 

Upon  the  10th,  the  current  did  not  abate  a  jot  of  its 


DO  W'N  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


189 


I 


swiftness,  and  siltlioiigh  wo  started  tolerably  late,  yet 
when  Camp  2.")  was  pitched,  at  8:15  i».m.,  in  a  thick  •••rove 
of  litth;  poplars  (there  bein<;  no  prosjject  of  a  better 
eanip  in  sight),  we  had  scored  iV.)  miles  along  the  axis  of 
the  stream,  the  best  record  for  one  dav  made  on  the 
river.  About  10  o'clock,  that  morning,  Ave  again  i)assed 
through  forest  tires  that  were  raging  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  which  averages  at  this  point  fi-om  lioo  t()4(»()  yards 
in  width,  A  commendable  scarcity  of  moscpiitoes  was 
notic(Hl  on  this  part  of  the  river. 

Shortly  after  noon  we  pass<'d  the  mouth  of  a  large 
river,  from  150  to  200  yards  in  width,  which  my  Chilkat 
Indians  told  me  was  called  the  Tah-heen'-a  by  them,  'i'he 
resembhuKse  of  this  name  to  that  of  the  Tahk-heen'-a 
made  me  abandon  it,  and  I  called  it  after  M.  Antoine 
d'Abbadie,  Membre  d'lnstitut,  the  F'rench  ex]>lorer. 
In  regard  to  Indian  names  on  this  part  of  the  Yukon 
River,  I  found  that  a  white  man  labors  undt^r  one  difliculty 
not  easy  to  overcome.  The  Chilkats,  who  are,  as  it  were, 
tlie  self-appointed  masters  over  the  docile  and  degraded 
"Sticks,"  while  in  the  country  of  the  latter,  have  one 
set  of  names  and  the  "Sticks,"  or  Tahk-heesh,  liave 
another.  Oftentimes  the  name  of  a  geogiaphical  object 
is  the  same  in  meaning,  differing  only  according  to  the 
language.  More  often  the  names  are  radically  different, 
and  what  is  most  perplexing  of  all,  the  Sticks  will  give 
the  same  name  as  the  Chilkats  in  the  presence  of  the 
latter,  thus  acknowledging  in  the  most  humble  and  abject 
way  their  savage  suzerainty. 

For  some  time  before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  D'Ab- 
badie  high  liills  had  been  rising  cm  the  eastern  slope, 
until  near  this  tributary  their  character  had  become  truly 


Ills 


i  if 


i     I 


too 


ALOXr;  ALASKA'S  GRKAT  RIVER. 


I    1 


I  li.  ! 


inomitaiiioiis,  I  callt'd  tlicin  tlic  Scinciiow  Mountains, 
al'tcr  \'<>n  Scnu'now,  President  of  th((  Imperial  Geo- 
^napliical  So«'i(»ly  of  liiissia.  Tiicy  extend  from  the 
I)'Al)I)adie  River  on  the  north  to  the  Newberry  lliver 
(after  Prof»>ssor  Newbeiry,  of  New  York),  on  the  south, 
between  them  and  the  Hancock  Hills  is  located  an  iso- 
lated and  conspicuous  butte  which  I  named  after 
^f.  (Hiarlcs  Maunoir,  of  the  Paris  (Teo<^raphical  Society. 
A  vcrv  siiiular  hill  between  the  Tahk  River  and  the 
Yukon  was  named  after  Professor  Ernst  Haeckel,  of 
Jena,  Gernuiny.  The  mouth  of  the  D'Abbadie  marks 
an  important  i)oint  on  the  Yukon  River,  as  bein^  the 
l)lace  at  which  <jfold  begins  to  be  found  in  placer  dej)osits. 
From  the  D'Abbadie  almost  to  the  very  mouth  of  the  great 
Yukon,  a  ininful  of  "dirt''  taken  with  any  discretion 
from  almost  any  l)ar  or  bank,  will  when  washed  give 
seveial  "colors,"  to  nse  a  miner's  phrase.  The  Daly 
Hiver  comes  in  from  the  east  some  forty  miles  further 
on,  mcasuH'd  along  the  stream,  forming,  with  the  New- 
berry and  D'Abbadie,  a  singular  trio  of  almost  similar 
streams.  The  last-mentioned  river  I  have  named  after 
Chief  .Justice  Daly,  of  New  York,  a  leading  patron  of 
my  Franklin  Search  expedition.  The  frequent  occur- 
rence of  large  tributaries  flowing  from  the  east  showed 
this  to  be  the  main  drainage  area  of  the  Upper  Yukon, 
a  rule  to  which  the  sole  exception  of  the  Nordenskiold 
Riveriaftei-  ]5aron  von  Nordenskiold,  the  celebrated  Swed- 
ish explorer  of  the  Arctic),  which  comes  in  from  the  west, 
fifty  miles  })eyond  the  Daly,  and  is  the  i)eer  of  any  of  the 
three  just  mentioned.  Immediately  after  passing  those 
livers,  the  Newberry  esi)ecially,  the  Yukon  became  very 
much  darker  in  hue,  showing,  as  I  believe,  that  the  trib- 


iitains, 
1    Geo- 
Ml   the 
Jiiver 
south, 
an  iso- 
i  after 
ociety. 
11(1  the 
kol,  of 
marks 
iiig  the 
^l)osits. 
le  great 
5('retion 
ed  give 
le  I)aly 
further 
le  New- 
similar 
p(l  after 
atron  of 
t  orrur- 
showed 
Yukon, 
enskicild 
?(\  Swed  • 
the  west, 
ly  of  the 
ng  those 
ime  very 
the  trib- 


DOWX  THE  UIVEH  TO  SELKIliK. 


ISl 


utarit's  draint'd  a  considerable  amount  of  wliiit  mi^lit  bo 
called —possibly  iua[»i»i()i»riat»'ly  -'*  tundra  "'  ImikI,  /.  /., 
wliej't^  the  water,  saturated  witli  the  dyes  exti'McIed  I'iomi 
dead  leaves  aiul  mosses,  is  i)iev('nte(|  Ity  :iu  iuipeiv  ions 
su))stratuui  of  ice  from  claiiryiiig  itself  by  j)el•colatill,i:• 
thl•ougll  the  soil,  and  is  carried  oiV  by  siii)errK'ial  dniiu- 


LOt)KlN<i    HACK    AT   'I'llK    KIXIv    UAIMDS. 

ago  diivctly  into  the  river-beds.  Wliere  we  camped  on 
tlie  night  of  the  !2r)th  I  noticed  that  many  of  the  dead 
seasoned  ])oplars  with  wliich  we  built  our  camp  lire  and 
cooked  our  food  had  been  Ivilled  in  i)revious  winteis  Ity 
the  hares,  that  liad  peeled  tlu;  barls.  in  a  circle  around  the 
trunk  at  such  a  uniform  height  of  from  twenty  to  twen- 
ty-four inches  from  the  ground,  measured  from  the  lower 


'm 


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193 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVElL 


ed^n' (»f  ilu!  nii',ii,>,  that  1  could  not  l)iit  think  that  tlu^: 
was  al)oiit  th«!  a\»'i;m«' depth  of  tlic  winter  snow,  upon 
winch  the  hares  stood  at  the  time.  On  tlie  Nth  we 
drifted  over  liftv  miles.  Shortly  Jifter  staitiu'^  w(! 
passed  the  month  of  the  Daly,  already  referi'<'d  to,  wliile 
directly  ahead  was  a  noticeable  hill  named  by  tiie  C'hil- 
kats  Eagles'  ^est,  and  by  the  TahJv-heesh  Otter  Tail,  each 
in  their  own  Jan<4iia<;e.  I  easily  saw  my  way  out  of  tlie 
dillicnlty  by  changini,^  its  name  to  Parlvinan  Peak,  after 
Professor  Fi'ancis  Parknuin,  the  well-known  American 
historian. 

AVe  ])assed  the  moutli  of  the  Nordenskiold  River  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  11th,  and  the  same  day  our  Indians  told 
us  of  a  perilous  rai)id  ahead  which  the  Indians  of  the 
country  sometimes  shot  in  their  small  rafts  ;  but  tliev 
felt  very  anxious  in  ren:ard  to  our  bulky  vessel  of  fortj  - 
two  feet  in  length,  as  the  stream  made  a  double  sharp 
bend  with  a  huge  rock  in  the  center.  AVe  started  late  on 
the  morning  of  the  12th,  and  at  10  o'clock  stopped  our 
raft  on  the  eastern  bank  in  order  to  go  ahead  and  inspect 
the  rapids  which  we  were  about  to  shoot.  I  found  them 
to  be  a  contraction  of  the  river  bed,  into  about  one-third 
its  usTud  width  of  from  four  to  six  hundred  yards,  and 
that  the  stream  was  also  impeded  by  a  jiumber  of  massive 
trap  rocks,  thirty  to  forty  feet  high,  lying  directly  in  the 
channel  and  dividing  it  into  three  or  four  well  marked 
channels,  the  second  from  the  east,  being  the  one  ordi- 
narily used  by  the  Indians.  AVe  rejected  this,  however, 
on  account  of  a  shaip  turn  in  it  which  could  not  l)e 
avoided.  These  rapids  were  very  picturesque,  as  they 
rushed  between  the  fantastically  formed  trap  rocks  and 
high  towers,  two  of  which  were  united  by  a  slender  nat- 


'' 


I  poll 

li  \\(.' 

X    ^^■e 

while 

Cliil- 

eacli 

r  the 

after 

■ricaii 


I 


I 


a 
'J  5 


I.  ^ 


I    3 


I  I 


it 


I 


I 


ill; 


p. 


ii  I 


DOWN  Till']  lilVKli  TO  SKI.KIUK. 


111.-. 


unil  brld^p  of  stom*,  that  spanned  ji  \vliiil|i(M»I,  niakiii;; 
tht3  whole  look  like  an  old  niiin'd  stoiic  l»rid,i;('  with  hut 
one  arch  that  had  withstood  the  yeiieial  (h'liiolitioii. 
We  essayed  the  «'xtreine  ri,i;ht-hand  (eastern)  [lassa^e, 
altliou<^h  't  was  <iuite  narrow  and  its  boiling'  current  was 
covered  witii  waves  running  two  and  thi'ee  I'eet  hiuli,  l)ut 
l)eiu«;  the  straiiihtest  was  the  best  i'or  our  loni;'  craft. 
Thousands  of  ^ulls  had  made  the  to]»  of  these  isolated 
towels  theii"  brr'edin^  places,  for  nothin*;"  but  winued  life 
c(juld  evei-  i-each  them,  and  here,  safe  from  all  intrusion, 
thev  reared  their  vouni'.  As  we  shot  bv  on  theiaft  they 
rose  in  clouds  jind  almost  diownedthe  noise  of  the  roar- 
in";  waters  with  tlu'ir  slirill  cries.  This  extreme  ri<iht- 
hand  channel  throu«::h  which  we  shot,  could,  1  believe,  be 
ascended  by  a  light-draft  river  steamer  ])i'ovi<le(l  with  a 
steam  windlass,  a  sharp  IxMid  in  the  river  bank  just 
before  it  is  entered  giving  a  short  and  secure  liold  lor  a 
cable  rope  ;  and  if  I  am  not  too  sanguine  in  my  conject- 
ures, the  cascades  below  the  (Irand  Canon  mark  the  lu.'ad 
of  navigation  on  the  Yukon  River,  as  already  noted.  I 
named  this  picturesque  little  rajii*!  aft«'r  Dr.  Henry 
Rink,  of  Christiana,  a  w<dl-known  atithority  on  (ireen- 
land.  After  the  Yukon  receives  the  niany  large  tribu- 
taries mentioned,  it  spreads  into  quite  a  formidable 
magnitude  ;  interspersed  with  many  islands,  all  of  which 
at  their  upper  ends,  are  so  loaded  with  gr<>at  piles  of 
driftwood,  oftentimes  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  as  to 
make  the  vista  in  one  of  these  archipelagoes  quitt^  dif- 
ferent according  as  one  looks  up  or  down  the  river,  the 
former  resembling  the  picturesque  Thousand  Isles  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  while  the  latter  reveals  only  a  dreary 
stretch  of  felled  timber,  lying  in  unpicturesque  groups, 


ill 


I 

''hi 


II 


1 1 


I 


if;  ; 


llMi 


AIJ).\(.-  ALASKA'S  (iHKAT  UIVI.i:. 


uillllllt'  liliylil  u-|v,ii  <»r  llic  is|;unl  roliliui-  IIKlUillU'  lll«' 
•  Iri'iiririf'ss  iiioic  r(»iiN|ii(ii()iis. 

I''rom  liiikc  Kliilv-las-si  ;iliii(»sl  lo  old  I-'ort  .'^cllNiik  uc 
(»l)s<'r\»'(|  mIuiih'  the  sl('('i»  I):iiiks  of  llic  livrr  :i  most  coii- 
spiciioiis  wliili'  St  I'ipc  soiiK' t  U(M»r  t  lin-c  iiiclics  in  width. 
After  oiii'  lit tt'iitioii  li:id  Ihtii  iittriictcd  to  this  phciioiiic- 
iioii  I'oi'  two  or  thrcodnys.  U(']n*o(M'(Mh'd  to  iincstiuiitc  it. 
it  nvcrMucd  nhcdttwoor  tiirccff 'ft  below  llic  sinTiict'.  mid 
scciiicd  to  S('l>;i!':it<'  tiic  recent  aliliviill  deposit.S  i'roill  tlie 
older  beds  of  chiy  iind  drift  Itelovv,  iilt lioiiuli  occasioiiiilly 
it  nppe;ire(|  to  eiit  into  both.  es])e('i;illy  the  :illll\  illlll. 
()('(':isio!i;illy.  :iltlioii,u'h  ;it  veiy  riire  iiitervjils,  there  were 
two  stripes  pai'MJh'l  to  eacli other  and  separated  by  a  few 
inches  of  black  earth,  while  oftentimes  the  stiipe  was 
plain  on  one  side  of  the  lavei*  and  wholly  waiitiiit,^  on  the 
other.  A  close  inspection  showed  it  to  W,  volcanic  ash, 
siiflicientiv  consolidated  to  have  the  consisteiicv  of  still' 
earth,  but  'levertheless  so  fi'iabl(>  that  it  could  be  reduced 
to  i)owder  by  the  tliiimb  and  lin,ii:ers.  lti)ossibly  repre- 
sents the  I'esnlt  of  some  exceptionally  violent  erii])- 
tion  in  ancient  times  fi'oin  one  or  niort^  of  the  many 
volcanic  cones,  now  probably  extinct,  with  which  the 
whole  southern  coast  of  Alaska  is  studded.  The  ashes 
were  cari'ied  far  and  wide  by  the  winds,  and  if  the  latter 
then,  as  now.  blew  almost  ])ersistently  from  the  south- 
ward diii'inu'  the  simimei' (and  T  understand  the  reverse 
is  the  case  in  the  winter),  we  c<j!ild  reasonablv  lix  the 
eruption  at  that  time  of  the  year. 

The  ^'ukon  Hivei'  as  it  widens  also  becomes  vei'y  tor- 
tuous in  many  places,  and  oft(Mitimes  a  score  of  miles 
is  traversed  alono;  the  axis  of  the  stream  while  the  divid- 
ers on  the  maj)  hardly  show  half  a  dozen  between  the 


I: 


irk  we 

st  roii- 

widlh. 

Iininc- 

iiitf  it. 
.  and 
•  Ml  the 
ioiially 
Mviiiiii. 

y  :t  f^'W 
[H^   Avas 
:  on  the 
iiic  ash, 
'  of  stiff 
reduced 
y  repi'o 
»t  eriip- 
ic  many 
ich    tlie 
i(>  ashes 
le  hitter 
'  soutli- 
I'everse 
:  lix  tlie 

•ery  tor- 
i)f  miles 
le  divid- 
voen  the 


i 


c 


c 


r 

r- 
N 


m 

1 

.« 


I    .    'I 


'   "J 


1 41 


mmfimmfm 


♦ 


I!:; 


I' 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


199 


same  points.  In  the  region  about  the  mouth  of  tlie  Nor- 
(lenskiold  lliver  a  conspicuous  bald  butte  coukl  be  seen 
directly  in  front  of  our  raft  no  less  than  seven  times,  on 
as  many  diifcrcnt  stretclies  of  the  river.  I  called  it  Tan- 
talus Butte,  and  was  glad  enough  to  see  it  disappear 
fnmi  sight. 

The  day  we  shot  the  Rink  "Rapids,  and  only  a  few  hours 
afterward,  we  also  saw  ourlirst  moose  plowing  through 
tlu^  willow  brush  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  stream  like  a 
hurricane  in  his  frantic  endeavors  to  escape,  an  under- 
taking in  which  he  was  completely  successful.  When  lirst 
S(^en  l)y  one  of  the  party  on  the  raft,  his  great  broad  pal- 
mated  horns  rolling  through  the  top  of  the  willow  brake, 
with  an  occasional  glimpse  of  his  brownish  black  sides 
showing,  he  was  mistaken  for  an  Indian  running  down  a 
path  in  the  brake  and  swaying  his  arms  in  the  air  to  attract 
our  attention.  My  Winchester  express  rifle  was  near 
me,  and  as  the  ungainly  animal  came  into  full  sight  at  a 
place  where  a  little  creek  x^i^t  into  the  stream,  up  the 
valley  of  which  it  started,  I  had  a  fair  shot  at  about  a 
hundred  yards  ;  took  good  aim,  pulled  the  trigger — and 
the  cap  snapped, — and  I  saved  my  reputation  as  a  marks- 
man by  the  gun's  missing  fire.  This  moose  and  another 
about  four  hundred  miles  further  down  the  river  were  the 
only  two  we  saw  in  the  Yukon  Valley,  although  in  the 
winter  they  are  quite  numerous  in  some  districts,  when 
the  mosquitoes  have  ceased  their  onslaughts. 

That  same  evening — the  12th,  we  encamped  near  the 
ttrst  Indian  village  we  had  met  on  the  river,  and  even  this 
was  deserted.  It  is  called  by  them  Kit'-ah'-gon  (mean- 
ing the  place  between  high  hills),  and  consists  of  one  log 
house  about  eighteen  by  thirty  feet,  and  a  score  of  the 


ii 


mmt^ 


(I 


! 


I.ii 


I 


iiii^ 


i;*'t.l    'l 


iil: 


1|     i 


IJOO 


aloay;  .4 /..I nam  n  great  hivkr. 


hrubli  houses  usum)  in  tliis  country;  that  is,  three  ninin 
poh:'s,  one  mucii  h)nu('r  than  the  rest,  and  servinij;  as  a 
ridge  pohi  on  which  to  i)i]e  evergreen  brush  to  com- 
plete tlie  house.  Tliis  brush  is  sometimes  re])hu'ed  by 
the  most  tlioi'ougldv  ventilated  reindeer  or  moose  skin, 
and  in  rai-e  cas<'s  by  an  old  i)iece  of  canvas.  Such  are 
the  almost  constant  habitations  of  these  abject  creatures. 
AVIien  I  iiist  saw  these  rude:  In'ush  houses,  thrown 
togf^ther  without  regard  to  oi'der  or  method,  I  thought 
tlu\v  w<M'e  scaffoldings  or  trellis  woi'k  on  which  the 
Indians,  who  lived  in  the  log  liouse,  used  to  dry  the 
salmon  caught  by  them  during  the  summer,  but  my  guide, 
Tndiaiuie.  soon  ex])lained  that  theory  away.  In  the 
spi'lng  Kit'-ah'-gon  is  deserted  by  its  Fiidian  inmates,  who 
then  ascend  the  river  with  loads  so  light  that  they  may 
be  carried  on  the  back.  By  the  time  winter  approaches 
they  have  worked  so  far  away,  accumulating  the  scanty 
stores  of  salmon,  moose,  black  bear,  and  caribou,  on 
wiiich  they  are  to  subsist,  that  they  build  a  light  raft 
from  the  driftwood  strewn  along  banks  of  the  river,  and 
float  toward  home,  where  they  live  in  sqimlor  through- 
out the  winter.  These  rafts  are  a  most  their  sole  means 
of  navigation  from  the  Grand  Canon  to  old  Fort  Selkirk, 
and  the  ti'iangular  brush  houses  almost  their  only 
abodes  ;  and  all  this  in  a  country  teeming  with  Avood  iit 
for  log-houses,  and  affording  plenty  of  birch  bark  from 
which  can  be  made  the  finest  of  canoes.  Kit'-ah-gon  is  in 
a  beautiful  large  valley,  as  its  Indian  name  would  im])ly 
(I  nauKMl  it  \'on  Wilczek  Valley,  after  Graf  v(m  Wilczek 
of  Vienna \  and  I  was  surprised  to  see  it  drained  by  so 
small  a  stream  as  the  one,  but  ten  or  twenty  feet  wide, 
which  empties  itself  at  the  valley's  mouth.  Its  proximity 


nl^ 


O 

o 

I' 

o 


C 
P 

?  2 


5 

M 

H 

c 


o 
B 

p 


o 

N 
O 


III';  111  ■■  ;    .I!l     "J'        "M *i«A,    .  mm 


m 


^ 


^'.' 


!:•'" 

■V-' 


^CM 


; 


I 


ill 


I;  I'll'. 

■;'l  ' 

in 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  TO  SELKIRK. 


203 


to  the  Pelly,  twenty  miles  f  iirtlier  on,  forbids  its  drain- 
ing a  great  area,  yet  its  valley  is  niiich  tlie  more  con- 
spicuous of  the  two.  Photogi-aphs  of  tliis  and  adjacent 
scenes  on  the  river  were  secured  by  Mr.  lloman  before 
departing,  and  a  rough  "prospect"  in  the  high  bank 
near  the  river  showed  "color"  enough  to  encourage  the 
hope  of  some  enthusiastic  miner  in  regaid  to  linding 
something  more  attractive.  Looking  back  up  the  Yukon  a 
most  prominent  landmark  is  found  in  a  bold  bluff  that 
will  always  be  a  conspicuous  point  on  the  river,  and 
which  is  shown  on  page  193.  I  named  this  bluff  after 
General  Charles  G.  Loring,  of  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine 
Arts. 

From  Von  Wilczek  valley  to  old  Fort  Selkirk  is  but  a 
little  over  twenty  miles  ;  and  the  river  is  so  full  of  islands 
in  many  places  that  for  long  stretches  we  could  hardly 
see  both  banks  at  a  time,  while  it  was  nothing  unusual 
to  have  both  out  of  sight  at  points  where  the  islands 
were  most  numerous.  This  cluster  of  islands  (named 
after  Colonel  Ingersoll,  of  Washington),  is,  I  think,  situ- 
ated in  the  bed  of  one  of  the  ancient  lakes  of  which  I 
have  spoken,  although  the  opinion  of  a  professional 
geologist  would  be  needed  to  settle  such  a  matter. 

At  S  P.  M.  we  reached  the  site  of  old  Fort  Selkirk. 
All  our  maps,  some  half  a  dozen  in  number,  except  one, 
had  X)laced  the  site  of  Selkirk  at  the  junction  of  the 
Pelly  and  Yukon  between  the  two,  the  single  exception 
noted  placing  it  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Pelly 
where  the  streams  unite.  Noticing  this  discrepancy  I 
asked  Indianne  for  an  explanation,  and  he  told  me  that 
neither  was  correct,  but  that  the  (•himneys  of  the  old 
ruins  would  be  found  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  about 


HB***- 


!  t' 


I 


1         ■  ,  li 


h 


iJlw 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  (SRKAT  RIVER. 

;i  Tiiih'  below  the  junction,  iind  1  found  liini  rorrect,  the 
chininoys  l)('in<j^  visihlc  fully  :i  mile  befoic  ^^«_'  iviit'lu'd 
them,  lleit!  we  were  on  land  familiar  to  the  footsteps  of 
white  men  who  had  made  niai)S  and  charts,  that  lough 
and  rude  though  they  were,  were  still  entitled  to  iesi)ect, 
and  accordingly  at  this  point  I  considered  that  my  ex- 
plorations hud  ceased,  although  my  surveys  were  con- 
tinued to  the  mouth  of  the  river;  making  the  distinction 
that  the  lirst  survey  only  is  an  exploration,  a  distinc- 
tion which  1  believe  is  i'ai)idly  coming  into  vogne.  Alto- 
gether on  the  Yukon  River,  this  far,  there  had  been  taken 
thirtv-four  astronomical  obseivations,  four  hundred  and 
twenty-live  with  the  prismatic  compass,  and  two  for  vari- 
ation of  compass.  I  have  no  doubt  that  these  are  suffi- 
ciently accurate  at  least  for  all  practicjd  purposes  of 
geographical  exploration  in  this  country,  until  more  ex- 
act surveys  are  demanded  by  the  opening  of  some  indus- 
try or  commerce,  should  that  time  ever  come.  The  total 
length  of  this  portion  of  the  river  just  traversed  from 
Plaines  Mission  to  Selkirk  was  five  hundred  and  thirty- 
nine  miles  ;  the  total  length  of  the  raft  journey  from  its 
commencement  at  the  camp  on  Lake  Lindeman  being- 
four  hundred  and  eighty-seven  miles  ;  while  we  had 
sailed  and  ''tracked"  and  rowed  across  seve'n  lakes  for 
a  distance  aggregating  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
miles. 


the 
'lied 

).s  of 
»ii^h 


o 


•i;     .'. 

e     • 


i  ! 


••MHIMi> 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THROUGH  THE   UPPKU   IIAMPARTS. 


T  the  site  of  old  Fort  Selkirk 
conimences  the  Upper  Rjini- 
parts  of  the  Yukon,  or  where 
that  mighty  stream  cuts 
through  the  terminal  spurs  of 
the  Rock}^  Mountains,  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  four  hundred 
miles,  the  iirst  hundred  of 
which,  terminating  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Stewart  River,  are 
almost  equal  to  the  Yosemite  or  Yellowstone  in  stupen- 
dous grandeur. 

I  was  very  anxious  to  determine  beyond  all  reasonable 
doubt  the  relative  sizes  of  the  two  rivers  whose  waters 
unite  just  above  old  Fort  Selkirk,  as  upon  this  determi- 
nation rested  the  important  question  whether  the  Pelly 
or  the  Lewis  River  of  the  old  Hudson  Bay  traders,  who 
had  roughly  explored  the  former,  ought  to  be  called  the 
Yukon  proper  ;  and  in  order  to  settle  this  point  I  was 
fully  prepared  and  determined  to  make  exact  measure- 
ments, soundings,  rate  of  current  and  any  other  data 
that  might  be  necessary.  This  information,  however,  was 
unnecessary  except  in  a  rough  form,  as  the  j)reponder- 
ance  of  the  old  Lewis  River  was  too  evident  to  the  most 
casual  inspection  to  require  any  exactness  to  confirm  it. 


ill 


I/,'   "^"^ 


L'dS 


A  l.(  >.\(  ,■  A  LA  SK\  \  -S  a  RE  A  T  lil  I  'IIR. 


I  ! 


I   '     I 


i  .   I'     .  ! 


•Hi  ,i 


'if/ii, 


;••';  ni 


The  iMtinol'  I  lirir  r('s])«'('tlv(' widili  is  about  five  to  tlii'cc, 
with  ;il>(»iit  llic  i;iti(»  of  live  to  lour  in  dcptli  ;  the  latter, 
li()\\e\rr.  heiim  11  ^''I'V  rou.uli  ai)i>r()xiniat ioii  ;  tlie  Ijewis 
River  heiiiii'  siipeiio)'  in  both,  and  for  this  icasoii  I  aban- 
doned the  latter  name,  and  it  appears  on  the  map  as  tlio 
Yukon  to  Cialei-  Lake  at  its  head. 

At  old  l''oit  Selkirk  nothini;' but  tlie  cliinnievs,  thi'ee 
in  iinmber — tuo  of  them  (piite  conspicnons  at  some  dis- 
tanee  aie  left  staiidinu',  the  blackened  embers  scattered 
around  still  attesting-  the  mannei-  of  its  i'ate.  From  the 
caiefid  and  substantial  manner  in  whicli  the  I'nbble  stone 
chininevs  \ver<'  constructed,  this  Ilndson  J^av  ('onii)anv 

■  '  t.  X  ft. 

])ost  was  evidently  intended  to  l)e  ju'rinanent,  and  from 
the  coni[)lete  destruction  of  all  the  wood  work,  tin;  Chil- 
kat  Indians,  its  destroyers,  evidentlv  intended  that  its 
efVacenient  should  be  complete.  The  fate  of  this  ])ost  has 
been  alluded  to  in  an  eailier  ])art  of  the  nari'ative.  Ih^'e 
we  icmained  two  oi-  three  davs,  makinii;  an  astronomical 
determination  of  i)osition,  the  mean  of  our  results 
bein.u-  latitude  m°  4.")'  40"  n(n-th,  longitude  137°  "22'  4;")" 
west  from  (Greenwich. 

Xo  meteorological  observations  were  taken  thus  far  on 
the  rivei",  th(^  ])arty  not  being  furnished  with  a  complete 
set  of  instiuments,  and  onr  rapid  passage  through  a  vast 
tract  of  teri'itorv  making  the  usefulness  to  science 
highly  ])roblematical.  The  nearest  point  to  the 
Fjiper  Yukon  at  which  regular  observations  of  this 
character  are  recorded  is  the  C/hilkat  salmon-cannery 
of  the  North-west  Trading  Com])any,  on  Chilkat 
Inlet.  The  two  regions  are  separated  by  the  Kotusk 
^fountains,  a  circumstance  which  makes  meteorologi- 
cal inferences  very  unreliable.      Climatology  is  better 


:(.  U 


nvM 


tliroe, 

laltcr, 

Lewis 

I  iil)iin- 

as  tho 

,  llnve 
no  (lis- 
nt1«'r»'<l 
nn  tlu' 
('  stoiK' 
)ini)any 
(I  from 
10  Chil- 
iliat  its 
post  has 
'.     Iloro 
noiuical 
results 
°  22'  45" 

lis  far  on 
'oiiiplete 
f\i  a  vast 
i   sf'ience 
to     the 
of   this 
-cannory 
Chilkat 
3  Kotnsk 
teorologi- 
is  better 


^Aita!i«tkF!l  :a,  'mM 


fi] 


I 


A 


'1,1 


I 


:.|l 


1  S 


TllROi'Lill  THE  LVPER  RAMPARTS. 


Sll 


ivproscntcd,  li()\v«'v«'r,  in  rcuiud  to  tlir  siiltjfct  of 
botany,  (^iiitt'  :i  iiiimlxT  of  l)otiiiii<'!il  sprciiin'iis  were 
(•olIr(;t('(l  oil  tilt'  rp)))'!'  Viikoii,  and  have  since  Ifccii 
jilaccd  in  the  al)l«' iiands  of  I'rol'cssoi-  A'alsoii,  {'uratoi-of 
tlie  Harvard  hnhaiiiini,  lor  analysis.  While  only  a 
])artial  and  crnde  collection  made  by  an  ainatenr,  it  lias 
tlii'own  s(nne  little  li-ilit  on  the  ^-enei-al  character  of  the 
llora,  as  limited  to  the  river  bed,  whicli  we  seldom 
(piitted  ill  the  dischai'i;*'  of  our  more  imi)ortant  duties 
connect»,'d  with  the  main  object  ol'  the  e.\i)e(lition.  Pro- 
fessor NVatson's  report  on  this  smtill  collection  will  be 
found  ill  tho  Appendix, 

TluM'xtent of  tlu^Maskan expedition (>f  ISSIJwassoiiieat 
tliatl(h3<'med  i t best todi vide  t he  maj)  ol'its  route  into  con- 
venient sections;  and  the  threes  subdivisi<ms,  the  second 
of  which  this  chapter  commences,  were  made  wliolly  with 
reference!  to  my  own  travels.     It  is  tlier<'fore  not  intench'd 
in  any  other  way  as  a  ^•eo,i,a'apliical  division  of  this  peat 
river,  althongli  it  mii^lit  not  be  altogether  unavailable  or 
inai)propriate  for  such  a  i)urpose.     The  Middle  Yuk(m, 
as  we  called  it  on  our  expc^lition,  extends  from  tlie  site  of 
old  Fort  Selkirk  to  old  Fort  Yukon,  at  the  fjrmt  x^rrtiv 
hend of  ihc  YiiJion^  as  it  is  sometimes  and  very  ajjpropri- 
ately  termed — a  part  of  the  stream  which  we  know  ai)prox- 
imately  from  the  rouii,h  maps  of  the  Hudson  BayComi)a- 
ny's    tra(h'rs,    who    formerly    trafficked     alou'j;    these 
Avat(?rs,  and  from  information  derived  from  i)ioneers  of 
the  AVestern  I'nion   Telegraph    Company   and   others. 
This  part  of  the  river,  nearly  iive  hundred   miles  in 
length,  had,  therefore,  already  been  explored  ;  and  to 
my  expedition  fell  the  lot  of  being  the  first  to  give  it  a 
survey,  wl  'cli  though  far  from  perfection,  is  the  first 


I 


i 


!i         I 


I 
I 
i 


t '1  , 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

worthy  of  the  luime,  and  is,  I  believe,  like  that  of  the 
r[)l)ei'  Yukon,  suflicient  to  tmswer  nil  i)urpose.s  until 
such  time  tis  coninieire  may  be  e'stiiblished  on  the  river 
suhsei'vieiit  to  the  industries,  eithei"  of  mining  or  of  iish- 
in.ii;,  that  may  hereafter  spring  up  ah)ng  its  course. 

1  luivf  just  spoken  of  the  compjirative  sizes  of  the 
IN'lly  and  Lewis  Rivers,  as  showing  the  hitter  to  be 
undoubtedly  the  Yukon  proper;  and  the  viev*-  on  page 
20'),  taken  looking  into  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly  from  an 
island  at  tlie  junction  of  the  two  streams,  as  well  as  that 
on  ])age  :2i;^,  looking  back  up  the  Y'ukon  (old  Lewis 
Kiv(M'),  from  the  site  of  old  Selkirk,  shows  the  evident 
lii<'ponderance  of  the  hitter,  although  in  the  case  of 
tilt'  IN'lly  but  one  of  its  mouths,  the  lower  and 
larger  of  the  two  that  encircle  the  island,  can  be 
seen  distinctly. 

The  bars  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly  are  a  little  richer 
in  pUu'er  gold  "color"  than  any  for  a  c(msiderable  dis- 
tance on  either  side  along  the  Yukon,  creating  the 
icasonable  inference  that  the  mineral  has  been  carried 
down  thefoiint^r  streaui,  an  inference  which  is  strength- 
ened by  the  repoi'ts  that  gold  in  paying  quantities  has 
been  discovered  on  the  Pelly,  and  is  now  being  worked 
successfully,  although  upon  a  S(miewhat  limited  scale. 
Even  the  high,  Hat  jdateau  on  which  old  Fort  Selkirk 
was  built  is  a  bed  of  line  gravel  that  glistens  with  grains 
of  gold  in  tli(^  miner's  pan.  and  might  possibly  "pay" 
in  more  favoi'able  climes,  where  the  ground  is  not  frozen 
the  greater  i)art  of  the  year.  Little  did  the  old  traders 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  imagine  that  their  house 
was  built  on  such  an  auriferous  soil,  and  possibly  little 
did  they  care,  as  in  this  rich  fur  district  they  possessed 


lat  of  the 
)ses  until 
I  the  river 
or  of  iisli- 
irsc. 

CCS  of  tlie 
tter  to  be 
v'  on  page 
y  from  an 
ell  as  that 
old  Lewis 
lie  evident 
e  case  of 
ower  and 
d,    ean  be 

ittle  richer 
erable  dis- 
eiiting  the 
en  cr.rried 
s  strength- 
iitities  has 
ng  worked 
uted  scale, 
irt  Selkirk 
vitli  grains 
)ly  "pay" 
not  frozen 
old  traders 
heir  house 
isibly  little 
y  possessed 


B 


C 


c 


K 


c 


K 
y. 

c 


y. 

r 


i.li 


llii 


li 


.  1 


I:' 


f. 


■    j  •! 
I 


1.  fe'v 


ll 


1,1 


III 


li  i 


!■!! 


(fl 


;  T 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


215 


an  enterprise  more  valuable  than  a  gold  mine,  if   an 
American  can  imagine  s  icli  a  thing. 

The  perpendicular  bluff  of  eruptive  rock,  distinctly 
columnar  in  many  places,  and  with  its  talus  reaching 
from  half  to  two-thirds  the  way  to  the  top,  as  shown  in 
the  view  looking  into  the  mouth  of  the  Pelly,  on  page 
209,  and  the  view  on  page  205  also,  extends  up  tluit 
stream  on  the  north  or  right  bank  as  far  as  it  was  visited, 
some  two  or  three  miles,  and  so  continues  down  the  Yukon 
along  the  same  (north)  bank  for  twelve  or  thirteen  miles, 
when  the  encroaching  high  mountains,  forming  the  upper 
gates  of  the  ramparts,  obliterate  it  as  a  lat  .>r  formation. 
In  but  one  place  that  I  saw  along  this  extended  front  of 
rocky  parapet  w^as  there  a  gap  sufficient  to  permit  of 
one's  climbing  from  the  bottom,  over  the  rough  (Jcbn's,  to 
the  level  grassy  plateau  that  extended  backward  from 
its  crest ;  although  in  many  places  this  plateau  could 
be  gained  by  alpine  climbing  for  short  distances,  up  the 
crevices  in  the  body  of  the  steep  rock.  This  level 
plateau  does  not  extend  far  back  before  the  foot  of  the 
high  rolling  hills  is  gained. 

In  the  illustration  on  page  200  the  constant  barricades 
of  tangled  driftwood  encountered  everywhere  on  the 
upstream  ends  and  promontories  of  the  many  islands  of 
these  rivers  are  shown,  although  the  quantity  shown  in 
the  view  falls  greatly  below  the  average,  the  heads  of  the 
islands  being  often  piled  up  with  stacks  ten  or  twenty 
feet  high,  which  are  useful  in  one  way,  as  forming  a  dam 
that  serves  during  freshets  and  high  water,  to  protect 
them  more  or  less  from  the  eroding  power  of  the  rapid 
river. 

A  grave  or  burial  place  of  the  Ayan  (or  lyan)  Indians 


^•1 

Mill 


itii 


•  I 


-iviii 


;       I'M 
i       \ti. 


H        i: 

•II 13. 


ih 

Mr 


\iV. 


f! 


Ill  I 


I 


:i  I'- 


ll 


!  j'  iJ 


i::.    i 


''  !    t 


■    „,  I 


II 


I 


proba})]y  some  three  months  old,  planted  on  the  very 
edge  of  tlie  river  bank  near  the  site  of  old  Fort  Selkirk, 
was  a  ty])e  of  the  many  we  afterward  saw  at  intervals 
from  this  point  for  about  two-thiitls  of  the  distance  to 
ol(^.  Fort  Yukon,  and  is  represented  on  page  :217.  Before 
burial  the  body  is  bent  with  the  knees  up  to  the  breast, 
so  as  to  occupy  as  little  longitudiiuil  space  as  possible, 
and  is  inclosed  in  a  very  rough  box  of  hewn  boards  two 
and  three  inches  thick,  cut  out  by  means  of  rude  native 
axes,  and  is  tlien  buried  in  the  ground,  the  lid  of  the 
coffin,  if  it  can  be  called  such,  seldom  being  over  a  foot 
or  a  foot  and  a  liulf  below  the  surface  of  the  pile.  The 
grave's  inclosure  or  fence  is  constructetl  of  roughly-hewn 
boards,  standing  upright  and  closely  joined  edge  to  edge, 
four  corner-posts  being  prolonged  above,  and  somewhat 
neatly  rounded  into  a  bed-i)ost  design  i'ei)resentv'd  in  the 
figure,  from  which  they  seldom  depart.  It  is  lashed  at 
the  top  by  a  Avattling  of  willow  withes,  the  lower  ends  of 
the  boards  being  driven  a  short  way  into  the  ground, 
while  one  or  two  intermediate  stripes  o^  red  paint  resem- 
ble other  bands  when  viewed  at  a  dist.aice.  From  the 
grave  itself  is  ei'ected  a  long,  light  pole  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  feot  in  height,  having  usually  a  i)iece  of  colored  cloth 
flaunting  from  its  top ;  although  in  this  particular 
i?^stance  the  cloth  Avas  of  a  dirty  white.  !Not  far  away, 
and  always  close  enough  to  show  that  it  is  some  super- 
stitious adjunct  of  the  grave  itself,  stands  another  pole 
of  about  equal  height,  to  the  top  of  which  there  is 
fastened  a  poorly  carved  wooden  figure  of  a  fish,  duck, 
goose,  bear,  or  some  other  animal  or  bird,  this  being,  I 
believe,  a  sort  of  savage  totem  designating  the  family  or 
sub-cian  of  the  tribe  to  v.hich  the  deceased  belonged. 


AYAN    GRAVE   NBA  11   OLD    FORT   SELKIRK. 
Looking  across  and  down  the  Yukon  River. 


'^**^-,, 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


219 


This  second  pole  may  be,  and  very  often  is,  a  line  young 
spruce  tree  of  proper  height  and  shape  and  convenient 
situation,  stripped  of  its  limbs  and  peeled  of  its  bark. 
The  little  "  totem  "  figure  at  the  toj)  may  thus  be  easily 
placed  in  position  before  the  limbs  are  cut  off.  It  is  some- 
times constructed  as  a  weather-vane,  or  more  probably 
it  is  easier  to  secure  firmly  in  its  position  by  a  wooden 
pin  driven  vertically,  and  so  as  the  green  wood  seasons 
and  shrinks  it  becomes  as  it  were  a  sepulcral  anemoscope 
without  having  been  so  intended.  These  poles  may  be 
horizontally  striped  with  native  red  paint,  and  the  out- 
side pole  has  one  or  more  pieces  of  cloth  suspended  from 
its  trunk.  These  graves  are  always  near  the  river  shore, 
generally  on  the  edge  of  a  high  gravel  bank  which  is  in 
course  of  excavation  by  the  swift  current,  and  when 
fresh  and  the  boards  white  are  visible  from  a  distance  of 
many  miles.  There  is  no  tendency,  as  far  as  I  could  see, 
to  group  them  into  graveyards,  beyond  the  fact  that  they 
are  a  little  more  numerous  near  their  semi-permanent  vil- 
lages than  elsewhere,  the  convenience  of  interment  being 
evidently  the  controlling  cause  of  location.  Leaving  out 
the  two  high  poles,  there  is  a  rough  resemblance  to  the 
graves  of  civilized  countries  ;  and  no  doubt  much  of 
their  form  and  structure  is  due  to  the  direct  or  indirect 
contact  with  civilization.  My  own  Indians  (Chilkats) 
told  me  that  they  formerly  placed  the  bodies  of  their 
dead  on  pole  scaffoldings  in  the  branches  of  the  trees  near 
the  river  bank,  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  Sioux 
and  other  Indian  tribes  of  our  great  western  plains  ;  and 
in  one  instance  a  very  old,  rotten  and  dilapidated  scaffold 
in  a  tree  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  having  once  served 
that  purpose,  although  there  were  no  indications  to  con- 


;  0 

j  m 


Id 


t  r 


I  i 


J  ) 


■I    i      i 


I    !, 


I    ' 
'i.  I 

I  : 


(;. 


'I 


(       I 


II 


i     ':l 


■\m 


'J 

'...  11, 


fji 


!}!, 


H'l: 


•■'  ?    I 


21'0 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


fii'in  the  storv  ;  but  those  iiiinht  liavecasilv  bocn  obliter- 
n1<'(l.  TIk'v  also  make  small  scan'oldintis  or  little 
('((('hcs  ill  tlio  louci'hi'aiiches  of  trees  to  i)rote('t  their  con- 
tents, usually  provisions  and  clothln^ii;,  from  bears,  wolves, 
and  possibly  from  their  own  do;;s,  of  which  they  possess 
larii,-e  numbers  of  a  black  and  brown  moni^rel  bi'eed.  In 
the  summertime  t  hesecui'sai'e  eminently  woi'thless  except 
as  scuvenu'ers  for  tlu^  I'efuse  decavinii"  salmon,  but 
in  1h<^  wintei-  s(>ason  thev  aie  used  to  di'aw  the  rude 
native  sledges  and  to  assist  in  trailing  moose  and 
caribou. 

^[r.  IToman  succeeded  in  getting  a  photograph 
(page  221),  of  a  group  of  Ayan  or  lyan  Indians,  with 
their  birch-bark  canoes.  AVe  found  it  very  diflicult  to 
keep  these  nervous  fellows  still  ;  and,  as  far  as  line 
rend»M'ing  of  featuies  is  concerned,  the  photograph  w^as 
not  perfect.  Their  birch-bark  canoes  are  the  best  on 
any  part  of  the  long  rivei-  for  lightness,  compactness, 
and  neatness  of  build  and  design,  and  form  a  most 
remarkable  contrast  to  the  unwieldy  dilapidated  "dug- 
outs'' of  the  Tahk-heesh  Indians  ahove  them  on  the 
^  Yukon.  The  Ayan  canoe  paddle,  well 
"^'"■'■■•».      shown  in  outline  in  the  hands  of  one  of 

CROSS-SECTION  AYAN 

CANOK  i-ADDLK.  ^]^p  gToup,  is  of  tlio  cross-sectlou  on  this 
page,  the  ridge  or  rib  r  being  always  held  to  the 
rear  in  nsing  it.  In  addition  to  the  paddle,  the  canoe- 
man  keeps  with  him  two  light  poles,  about  as  hmg  as 
the  paddle  itself,  and  as  heavy  as  its  handle  ;  and  these 
are  employed  in  ascending  the  river,  the  pole  man 
keeping  near  the  shallow  shores,  and  using  one  in  each 
hand  on  either  side  of  the  canoe,  poling  against  the 
bottom.     So  swift  is  the  river  in  these  parts  (and  in  fact 


>■ 


> 

V. 

> 


I 

o 

'A 
O 
W 

C/3 


n 


lii 


¥■ 


fl 


!it.,  1 


,1 


']'■ 


«■ 


'1:1 


I 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


223 


it  is  extremely  rapid  during  its  entire  eoursc),  tlmt  the 
native  canoenien  nse  no  otlier  nictliod  in  ascending'  it, 
except  for  very  sliort  distances.  Tlio  Ksivimo  nu'thod, 
in  use  on  tlie  lower  part  of  the  river,  of  harnessinf;-  do^s 
to  their  craft  like  canal  liorses  and  towing  them  along 
the  banks,  I  did  not  see  in  operation  during  my  stay 
among  the  Ayans,  although  they  possessed  all  the 
requisites  for  such  an  easy  and  convenient  method  of 
navigation.  In  descending  the  river  tlie  current  is  the 
main  motive  power,  especially  for  long  journeys,  and  the 
paddle  is  only  sparingly  used  to  keep  the  canoe  in  the 
swiftest  part  of  the  stream.  ^Vhen  required,  however, 
they  can  go  at  a  speed  that  few  canoemen  in  the  world, 
savage  or  civilized,  can  equal. 

Two  species  of  fish  were  caught  from  the  banks  near 
the  site  of  Selkirk,  the  grayling  being  of  the  same  kind 
we  had  caught  near  the  rapids  just  above  and  below  the 
Grand  Canon,  and  had  found  in  varying  numbers  from 
Perthes  Point  in  Lake  Bove,  to  the  niouth  of  White 
River,  nearly  a  hundred  miles  below  Selkirk,  averaging 
a  trifle  over  a  pound  in  weight ;  and  a  trout-like  salmon, 
caught  occasionally  from  Lake  Nares  to  AVhite  River, 
sometimes  with  an  artificial  fly,  but  more  frequently  on  the 
trout  lines  with  baited  hooks  that  were  put  out  over  night 
wherever  we  camped.  A  most  disgusting  and  hideous 
species  of  eel-pout  monopolized  our  trout  lines  whenever 
they  were  put  out  at  this  point,  from  which  even  the 
invincible  stomachs  of  our  Indian  allies  and  visitors  had 
to  refrain.  Small  black  gnats,  somewdiat  resembling  the 
buffalo  gnats  of  the  plains,  were  observed  near  Selkirk 
in  considerable  numbers,  and  our  Indians  hinted  that 
they  indicated  the  presence  of  large  game,  a  story  which 


ill 


i      $ 


i>:U 


>!l 


m. 


ki  1 

,[::   i 

( 

•  1 

V ;      i 

I 

HBHkgj^^^ 

j 

ALONG  ALASKA  Si  GREAT  RIVER. 

we  would  gladly  have  luul  corroborated,  but  in  this  we 
were  disappointed. 

We  *?ot  away  from  Selkirk  on  July  15tli,  shortly  after 
noontime,  having  waiteii  for  a  meridian  (Elimination  of 
the  sun  in  order  to  take  an  observation  for  latitude. 
Th<^  country  gradually  becomes  more  mountainous  as 
we  descend,  and  this  bold  character  continues  witli  but 
slight  exceptions  for  over  a  hundred  miles  further.  The 
river  view  reminded  me  strongly  of  the  Columbia  River 
near  the  Cascades,  the  Hudson  at  West  Point,  or  the 
Potomac  at  Harper's  Ferry,  differing  only  in  the  pres- 
ence everywhere  of  innumerable  islands,  a  permanent 
characteristic  of  the  Yukon,  and  one  in  which  it  exceeds 
any  other  stream  known  to  me,  whether  from  observa- 
tion or  description. 

Although  we  had  understood  from  the  few  Indians 
who  had  visited  us  in  their  canoes,  that  their  village  was 
but  a  few  miles  below  Fort  Selkirk,  we  had  become  so 
accustomed  to  finding  insignificant  parties  of  natives, 
here  and  there,  that  it  was  a  great  surprise  to  ns  when 
we  suddenly  rounded  the  lower  end  of  an  island  about 
four  o'clock  that  afternoon,  and  saw  from  a  hundred  and 
seventy-five  to  two  hundred  Avild  savages  drawn  up  ready 
to  receive  us  on  the  narrow  beach  in  front  of  their  brush 
village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Our  coming 
had  evidently  been  lieraldeT  by  couriers,  and  all  of  the 
natives  were  apparently  lialt-f rantic  with  excitement  for 
fear  we  might  drift  by  without  visiting  them.  They  ran  up 
and  down  the  bank  wildly  swaying  their  arms  in  the  air, 
and  shouting  and  screaming  to  the  great  fleet  of  canoes 
that  surrounded  us,  until  I  feared  they  might  have  un- 
friendly designs,  and  in  fact,  their  numbers  appeared 


TimOUnU  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


so  overwlu'lmin^  when  conipjiit'd  with  oiii- Utile  hand  that 
I  gave  the  neeo.ssary  ordei's  in  resju'ct  to  arms  so  as  to 
give  the  Indians  as  little  advantage  as  possible  in  case 
of  an  encounter  at  su(;li  close  (quarters.  A  line  was  car- 
ried asliore  by  means  of  these  canoes,  and  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  crowd  made  an  attempt  to  get 
hold  of  it,  the  foremost  of  them  running  out  into  the 
ice-cold  water  up  to  the  very  arm-pits  in  order  to  seize 
it,  and  the  great  gridiron  of  logs  went  cutting  through 
the  water  like  a  steam-launch,  and  brought  up  against 
the  shore  in  a  way  that  nearly  took  us  off  our  feet. 

Immediately  after  our  raft  was  securely  moored,  the 
crowd  of  Indians  who  lined  the  narrow  beach  conmienced 
singl'.ig  and  dancing — men  and  boys  on  the  (their)  left, 
and  women  and  girls  on  the  right.  The  song  was  low  and 
monotonous,  but  not  melodious,  bearing  a  resemblance  to 
savage  music  in  general.  Their  outspread  hands  were 
placed  on  their  hips,  their  arms  aid  mho,  and  they  swayed 
from  side  to  side  as  far  as  their  lithe  bodies  would  per- 
mit, keeping  time  to  the  rude  tune  in  alternate  oscilla- 
tions to  the  right  and  left,  all  moving  synchronously  and 
in  the  same  direction,  their  long  black  masses  of  hair 
floating  wildly  to  and  fro,  and  serving  the  practical  pur- 
pose of  keeping  off  the  gnats  and  mosquitoes  which  other- 
wise might  have  made  any  out-door  enjoyments  impossi- 
ble. During  all  this  time  the  medicine  men  went  through 
the  most  hideous  gymnastics  possible  along  the  front  of 
the  line,  one  who  had  a  blue-black  blanket  with  a  St. 
George's  cross  of  flaming  red  in  its  center  being  especi- 
ally conspicuous.  He  excelled  in  striking  theatrical  atti- 
tudes of  the  most  sensational  order,  in  which  the  showy 
blanket  was  made  to  do  its  part,  and  he  was  forth  ss  1th 


n 


% 

i 


\ 


'  i  ! 


IN 


'fill 


if: 'I 


\i 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


dubbed  Hamlet  by  the  men  of  the  party,  by  way  of  a  sub- 
stitute for  his  almost  unjironounceable  name.  Even  after 
the  i^erformance,  this  pompous  individual  strutted  along 
the  banks  as  if  he  owned  the  whole  British  North- west 
territory  ;  a  pretension  that  was  contradicted  by  his  per- 
sistent begging  for  every  trifling  object  that  attracted  his 
eye,  as  though  he  i^ad  never  owned  any  thing  of  value  in 
his  life.  After  the  singing  and  dancing  were  over,  a  few 
trifling  presents  were  given  to  most  of  the  Indians  as  a 
reward  for  their  entertainment.  A  photograph  was  at- 
temi^tedby  Mr.  Roman  of  this  dancing  group,  but  the  day 
was  so  unfavorable,  with  its  black  lowering  clouds,  the 
amateur  apparatus  so  incomplete,  and  the  right  moment 
so  hard  to  seize,  that  the  effect  was  a  complete  failure. 
Once  or  twice  we  got  the  long  line  in  position  in  their  best 
attitudes,  "  Hamlet "  looking  his  most  ferocious,  and  re- 
sembling a  spread  eagle  with  the  feathers  pulled  out,  but 
just  as  the  photographer  was  ready  to  pull  the  cap  off  the 
camera,  some  impatient  young  fellow,  inspired  by  the 
crowd  and  the  attitude  of  dancing,  would  begin  to 
hum  their  low  song  of  Yi-yi-yi-yi's  and  it  was  as  impos- 
sible to  keep  the  others  from  taking  up  the  cadence  and 
swaying  themselves  as  it  was  to  arrest  the  earth's 
revolution. 

From  a  book  written  by  a  previous  traveler  on  the 
lower  river,  who  pretended  to  a  knowledge  of  the  tribes 
upon  its  upper  part  also,  I  had  been  deluded  into  the 
idea  that  useful  articles — such  as  knives,  saws,  and  files, 
— were  the  best  for  trading  purposes  with  these  Indians, 
or  for  the  hire  of  native  help;  but  I  was  not  long  in  find- 
ing out  that  this  was  most  gratuitous  misinformation;  for 
the  constant  burden  of  their  solicitations  was  a  request 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


227 


on  the 
tribes 
to  the 
d  files, 
idinns, 
n  find- 
on;  for 
equest 


for  tea  and  tobacco,  small  quantities  of  >Wiioh  tliey  get 
by  barter  with  intermediate  riparian  tribes.  These 
wants  I  found  to  extend  among  tlie  natives  throughout 
the  whole  length  of  the  river  in  varying  degrees,  and,  as 
the  former  article  is  very  light,  I  would  especially  recom- 
mend it  to  those  about  to  enter  the  country  for  purposes 
of  scientific  research,  for  which  it  is  such  a  grand  field. 
Next  to  tea  and  tobacco,  which  we  could  only  spare  in 
small  quantities,  fish-hooks  seemed  to  be  in  good  demand 
among  this  particular  tribe  ;  and  the  very  few  articles 
they  had  to  spare,  mostly  horn  spoons,  and  birch-bark 
ladles  and  buckets  were  eagerly  exclianged.  Below 
White  River,  fishing  on  the  Yukon  with  liook  and  line 
ceases,  and  fish-hooks  are  worthless  as  articles  of  ex- 
change. Another  article  freely  brought  us  was  the  pair 
of  smaU  bone  gambling- tools  (shown 
on  this  page)  so  characteristic  of  the 
whole  north-west  country.  They  have 
been  described  when  speaking  of 
the  Chilkat  Indians  and  I  saw  no 
material  difference  in  their  ?ise  by  this  particular  tribe. 
These  Indians  call  themselves  the  A-yans — with  an 
occasional  leaning  of  the  pronunciation  toward  I-yan  ; 
and  this  village,  so  they  said,  contained  the  majority  of 
the  tribe,  although  from  their  understanding  of  the 
question  thej  may  have  meant  that  it  was  the  largest 
village  of  the  tribe.  Their  country,  as  they  claim  it, 
extends  uj)  the  Pelly — the  Indian  name  of  which  is 
Ayan — to  the  lakes,  up  the  Yukon  from  this  point  to 
the  village  of  Kit'-ah-gon,  anc'  down  that  stream  to 
near  the  mouth  of  the  White  and  Stewart  Rivers,  where 
they  are  succeeded  by  a  tribe  called  the  Netch-on'-dees 


II 


3 
3 


AYAN    AND     CHILKAT 
QA.MBLING  TOOLS. 

Scalo  }^. 


1  ■ 


,,'"> 


^:i:'  n 


I'i 


228 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


or  N(t-chon'  -des — the  Indian  name  of  the  Stewart  River 
teing  Na-chon'-de,  They  are  a  strictly  riparian  race 
of  people  and  define  their  country  only  as  it  extends 
along  the  principal  streams.  From  the  river  as  a  home 
or  b  ise,  however,  they  make  frequent  hunting  excur- 
sions to  the  interior  in  the  winter  time  for  moose  and 
caribou.  This  village,  which  they  called  Kah-tung, 
seemed  to  be  of  a  semi-iDermanent  character  ;  the  houses 
or  huts  made  of  spruce  brush,  over  the  top  of  which 
there  was  an  occasional  piece  of  well-worn  cloth  or  dirty 
canvas,  but  more  often  a  moose  or  caribou  skin.  These 
brush  houses  were  squalid  affairs,  and  especially  so 
compared  with  the  bright  intelligent  features  of  the 
makers,  and  with  some  of  their  other  handicraft,  rnch 
as  their  canoes  and  native  wearing  apparel.  The  little 
civilized  clothing  they  possess  is  obtained  by  barter  with 
neighboring  tribes,  and  has  generally  been  worn  out  by 
the  latter  before  they  exchange,  hence  it  is  tattered  and 
filthy  beyond  measure,  and  in  no  wise  so  well  adapted 
to  their  purpose  as  the  native  clothing  of  buckskin.  One 
could  hardly  stand  up  in  these  brush  houses,  they  were 
built  so  low,  and  any  attcinpt  to  do  so  was  frustrated  by 
the  quantities  of  odoriferous  salmon  hanging  down  from 
the  squat  roofs,  undergoing  a  process  of  smoking  in  the 
dense  clouds  that  emanated  from  spruce-knot  fires  on 
the  floor.  These  ornam(?nts,  coupled  with  the  thick 
carpeting  of  live  dogs  upon  the  floor,  made  the  outside 
of  the  house  the  most  pleasant  part  of  it.  The  houses 
were  generally  double,  facing  each  other,  with  a  narrow 
aisle  a  foot  or  two  wide  between,  each  one  containing  a 
single  family,  and  being  about  the  area  of  a  common  o^ 
government  A  tent.    The  ridge-poles  were  common  to 


I 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


221) 


the  two  houses,  and  as  both  leaned  forward  considerably 
this  gave  them  strength  to  resist  violent  winds.  The 
diagram  on  this  page  gives  a  ground  plan  of  an  Ayan 
double  brush-house.  The  village  of  Kah-tung  contained 
about    twenty    of     these 


y 


TT- 


;  L 


\ 


I  I 
I  I 
I 


e'/of 


--' 


■- — ±11 

PLAN   OF  AYAN  SLMMEU  HOUSE  OF  BUUSU. 


•'4 


squalid  huts,  huddled  near 
the  river  bank,  and  alto- 
gether was  the  largest  In- 
dian village  we  saw  on  the 
whole  length  of  the  Yukon 
River. 

There  was  a  most  decided  Hebrew  cast  of  countenance 
among  many  of  the  Ayans  ;  more  pronounced,  in  fact, 
than  I  have  ever  seen  among  savages,  and  so  much  so  as 
to  niq,ke  it  a  subject  of  constant  remark. 

Their  household  implements  were  of  the  most  primitive 
type, — such  as  spoons  of  the  horn  of  the  mountain  goat, 
very  similar  to  those  of  the  Tlinkits,  but  by  no  means  so 
well  carved  ;  and  a  few  buckets,  pans,  and  trays  of  birch- 
bark,  ingeniously  constructed  of  one  piece  so  as  not  to 
leak,  and  neatly  sewed  with  long  withes  of  trailing  roots. 
(The  finer  thread-like  spruce  roots,  well-boiled,  are,  I  be- 
lieve, generally  used  by  them  in  sewing  their  birch-bark 
canoes  and  utensils.) 

Their  present  village  was,  as  I  have  said,  evidently 
only  of  a  semi-permanent  character,  used  in  the  summer 
during  the  time  Ihat  salmon  were  ascending  the  river  to 
spawn  ;  the  bright  ted  sides  of  this  fish,  as  they  were 
hanging  around,  split  open,  forming  a  not  inartistic  con- 
trast with  the  dark  green  spruce  boughs  of  the  houses 
and  surrounding  forests;  the  artistic  effect,  however,  was 
best  appreciated  when  holding  one's  nose.     Scattered 


■I  jif 


t    1 


«l  i 


1  n 


■1: 


1  •   ' 


^;!  ' 


ii  li " !', 


around  in  every  direction  was  a  horde  of  dogs  that  defied 
computation,  and  it  must  be  an  immense  drain  on  their 
commissariat  to  Iteep  these  animals  alive  let  alone  in  good 
condition.  The  amount  of  active  exercise  they  took, 
however,  would  not  suffice  to  reduce  them  in  flesh,  for 
tlieir  ])rincipal  occupation  seemed  to  be  unlimited  sleep. 


kon-it'l,  chief  of  the  ayans. 

Although  we  were  not  successful  in  getting  a  photograph 
of  the  long  group  of  dancers,  we  were  more  fortunate  with 
a  group  of  the  chiefs  and  medicine-man  "  Hamlet,"  from 
which  the  portrait  on  this  page,  of  Kon-it'l,  their  chief, 
is  taken.     It  was  impossible  to  get  them  to  face  the 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS, 


231 


camera  at  such  short  range  until  one  of  the  members  of 
the  exploring  party  took  his  position  with  them,  while 
Mr.  Homan  secured  the  pliotograpli. 

The  Ayan  mothers,  instead  of  carrying  their  babes  o  , 
their  backs  with  their  faces  to  the  front,  as  is  usually 
done  by  savage  women,  unless  when  using  a  cradle,  turn 
them  around  so  as  to  have  them  back  to  back,  and  carry 
them  so  low  as  to  fit  as  it  were  into  the  "  small  of  the 
back." 

Most  of  the  Ayan  men,  and  especially  the  younger 
members,  were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  but  there 
was  quite  a  considerable  sprinkling  of  old  fiint-lock 
Hudson  Bay  Company  muskets  among  them,  which  they 


AYAN   MOOSE   ARROW. 

had  procured  by  trade  many  years  ago  when  Fort  Sel- 
kirk flourished,  or  by  intertribal  barter,  and  their  cost  to 
these  poor  savages  was  almost  fabulous.  The  Company' s 
manner  of  selling  a  gun  was  to  set  it  upright  on  the  floor 
of  the  trader's  store,  and  then  to  pile  up  furs  alongside 
of  it  until  they  reached  the  muzzle,  when  the  exchange 
was  made,  many  of  the  skins  being  those  of  the  black 
and  silver-gray  fox,  and  their  aggregate  value  being 
probably  three  to  four  hundred  dollars.  Their  bows  and 
arrows  were  of  the  stereotyped  Indian  make,  with  no  dis- 
tinguishing ornament  or  peculiarity  of  construction 
worthy  of  notice. 

The  moose  arrows  used  by  this  tribe,   shown  in  illus- 
tration on  this  po  ge,  have  at  the  point  the  usual  double 


I 


''     "  I 


I    :  1 1 


232 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


l'   I 


!  I 


I  ! 


Ml. 


/I..:, 


i.;  I 


I'" 


barb  of  common  arrows,  Avliile  one  side  is  prolonged  for 
two  or  three  inches  into  a  series  of  barbs  ;  these  hitter 
they  chiini  have  the  effect  of  workin*^  inward  with  tlie 
motions  of  the   muscles  of  the  animal  if  it  be   only- 
wounded.     Once  wounded  in  this  manner  these  sleuth- 
hounds  of  sav'ages  will  remain  on  the  trail  of  a  moose  for 
days  if  need  be,  until  this  dreadful  weapon  has  reached 
a  vital  point,  or  so  disabled  the  animal  that  it  easily  suc- 
cumbs to  its  pursuers.     In  hunting  moose  in  the  summer 
time,  while  these  animals  are  swimming  across  the  lakes 
or  broad  streams,  I  was  told  by  one  of  my  interpreters 
who  had  often  traded   among  them,  and  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  their  habits  and  customs,  that  these  Ayans 
(and  in  fact  several  tribes  below  them  on  the  river),  do 
not  hesitate  to  jump  on  the  animals'  back  in  the  lake  or 
river,  leaving  the  canoe  to  look  after  itself,  and  dispatch 
the  brute  with  a  hand  knife,  cutting  its  throat  or  stab- 
bing it  in  the  neck  as  illustrated  on  page  261.  Of  course, 
a  companion  in  another  canoe  is  needed  to  assist  in  get- 
ting the  carcass  ashore,  and  secure  the  hunter's  canoe. 
They  often  attack  the  moose  in  their  canoes  while  swim- 
ming as  described  by  previous  explorers  on  the  lower 
river,   but  say  that  if  by  any  unskillful  movement  they 
should  only  wound  the  animal  it  may  'urn  and  wreck 
their  vessel,  which  is  too  great  a  loss  for  them  to  risk. 
A  flying  moose  will  not  turn  in  the  water  unless  irritated 
by  wounds.     The  knives  they  use  in  hunting  are  great 
double-edged  ones,  with  flaring  ornamental  handles,  well 
illustrated  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner  of  the  picture 
mentioned.      They  tell  me  these  knives  are  of  native 
manufacture,  the  handles  being  wrapped  with  moose 
leather  so  as    to    give  the  hand  a  good  grip.     Alto- 


■'if  ''i 


-1  i; 


Ivreck 

risk. 

ttated 

I great 

1,  Avell 

ctiire 

ative 

loose 

Ito- 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


233 


getlier,  they  are  most  villainous  and  piratical  looking 
things. 

Only  one  or  two  log-cabins  were  seen  anywhere  in  the 
Ayan  country,  and  these  had  the  dilapidated  air  of 
complete  and  permanent  abandonment,  although  this 
whole  distiict  of  the  river  is  teeming  with  timber  appro- 
priate for  such  use.  Probably  the  nomadic  and  restless 
character  of  the  inhabitants  makes  it  irksome  for  them 
to  dwell  in  such  permanent  abodes,  in  spite  of  the  great 
comfort  to  be  derived  in  their  almost  Arctic  winters  from 


CROSS-SECTION   THROUGH    AYAN   WINTER   TENT. 

such  buildings,  if  well  constructed.  The  severity  of  the 
winter  is  shown  by  the  moist  banks  of  the  river,  the 
appearance  of  which  indicates  that  they  have  been  frozen 
some  six  or  eight  feet  in  depth.  In  winter  the  Ayans 
live  mostly  in  tents,  but  by  an  ingenious  arrangement 
these  ordinarily  cold  habitations  are  made  reasonably 
comfortable.  This  winter  tent  is  shown  in  cross-section 
above,  I  being  the  interior,  and  P  P  the  tent  poles 
well  covered  with  moose  or  caribou  skins.  A  second  set 
of  poles,  p  p,  are  given  a  wider  spread,  inclosing  an  air 
space,  A  S,  a  foot  or  two  across.     These,  too,  are  cov- 


w 


Ill 


H: 


I  !■ 


,:;,!. 


i.      ': 


1    \ 


"  ■;'   Hi 


234 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


ered  with  anirnjil  skins,  and  a  thick  banking  of  snow,  ss, 
two  or  three  f»^et  deep  is  tlirown  over  tlie  outside  tent 
during  tlie  coldest  weather  of  winter,  malting  a  sort  of 
liybrid  between  tlie  Eskimo  if/loo,  or  snow  house,  and 
the  Indian  skin  lodge. 

Many  of  the  Ayans  were  persistent  beggars,  and  next 
morning,  the  10th  of  July,  we  got  an  early  start  before 
many  of  them  were  about,  for  as  a  tribe  they  did  not 
seem  to  be  very  early  risers. 

Nearly  directly  opposite  the  Kah-tung  village  the  per- 
pendicular basaltic  bluffs  shown  in  the  view  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Pelly  cease  ;  and  from  this  point  on,  the  hills  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  were  higher  and  even  mountain- 
ous in  character  ;  "the  upper  gates  of  the  upper  ram- 
parts." 

From  this  i)oint  on  down  through  the  ramparts  small 
black  gnats  became  annoyingly  numerous  and  pugna- 
cious, while  the  plague  of  mosquitoes  seemed  to  abate  a 
little.  The  mosquito-bars,  which  were  some  protection 
from  the  latter,  Avere  of  no  use  against  the  former,  the 
little  imps  sailing  right  between  the  meshes  without 
even  stopping  to  crawl  through.  Veils  with  the  very 
finest  meshes  would  be  needed  to  repulse  their  onslaughts, 
and  wdth  these  we  were  not  provided. 

That  day,  the  IGtli,  we  drifted  forty-seven  miles, 
through  a  most  picturesque  section  of  country,  our  jour- 
ney being  marred  only  by  a  number  of  recurring  and 
Jlisagreeable  thunder  showers  that  wet  us  to  the  skin. 

Everywhere  in  conspicuous  positions  near  the  edge  of 
the  river  banks  Ave  saw  straggling  and  isolated  Ayan 
graves,  resembling,  in  general,  the  one  X)liotographed  at 
Selkirk,  and  not  unlike  pretty  little  white  cottages,  when 


1 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


235 


seen  I'loiii   the  distance  projected   against  tlie  somber 
green  of  the  deep  spruce  forests. 

About  thirty-four  miles  beyond  old  Selkirk  a  small 
but  conspicuous  mountain  stream  came  in  from  the 
south,  which  I  named  after  Professor  Selwyn,  of  Ottawa, 
Canada. 

The  river  was  still  full  of  islands,  however,  many  of 
which  are  covered  with  tall  sfjruce,  and  look  very  pic- 
turesque in  the  almost  canon- like  river-bottom,  the  steej) 
mountain  sides  being  nearly  devoid  of  heavy  forests. 

In  one  of  the  many  open  spaces  far  up  the  mountain 
side,  we  saw  a  huge  black  bear,  evidently  hunting  his 
daily  meal  among  the  roots  and  berries  that  there 
abound.  Although  we  passed  within  half  a  mile  of  him, 
he  took  no  more  notice  of  us  than  if  our  raft  had  been 
a  floating  chip,  and  we  did  not  disturb  his  search  with 
any  long-range  shots. 

A  little  further  down,  and  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river,  the  northern,  we  saw  three  white  mountain  goats 
on  the  very  highest  ridges  of  the  hills.  Timid  as  they 
are,  the  only  notice  they  deigned  to  give  us  was  that 
such  as  were  asleep  roused  themselves  and  stood  gazing 
at  us  until  we  had  drifted  well  past,  when  they  began 
grazing  leisurely  along  the  ridge. 

About  this  time  our  attention  was  quite  forcibly  called 
to  a  singular  phenomenon  while  riding  on  the  raft,  which 
was  especially  noticeable  on  quiet  sunny  days.  It  was  a 
very  pronounced  crackling  sound,  not  unlike  that  of  a 
strong  fire  running  through  dry  cedar  brush,  or  that  of  the 
first  rain  drops  of  a  thunder  storm  falling  on  the  roof  of 
a  tent.  Some  of  the  men  attributed  it  to  the  rattling  on 
the  logs  of  the  raft  of  a  shower  of  pebbles  brought  up  by 


4   ;i 


1  i 


fi-:  -t;.^^^ 


238 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER 


tho  swift  (Minvnt  fioni  iindoinoath,  wliich  would  have 
b(3en  a  good  enough  th(3ory  as  far  as  the  sound  was 
concerned ;  hut  soundings  in  such  phices  invariably 
failed  to  toucli  bottom  with  a  sixteen-foot  i)ole,  and, 
moreover,  when  we  were  in  shallower  and  swifter  waters, 
where  the  bottom  was  pebbly,  the  sounds  were  not 
observed.  As  the  noise  always  occurred  in  deep  water 
of  a  boiling  character,  figuratively  speaking, — or  in  that 
agitated  condition  so  common  in  deep  water  immediately 
after  a  shoal,  a  condition  with  which  our  experience  in 
prying  the  raft  oiT  shoals  had  rendered  us  familiar — I 
attempted  to  account  for  it  upon  the  theory  exj^lained 
by  the  figure  Just  below.  The  raft  x,  drifting  with  the 
arrow,  passes  from  a  shallow  to  a  deep  stretch  of  water. 
The  Yukon  Hiver  is  a  very  swift  stream  for  its  size  (we 
drifted  that  day,  July  16,  forty-seven  and  a  half  geo- 
graphical miles  in  eleven  hours  and  fifty  minutes,  and 
even  this  rate  cannot  rejoresent  the  swiftest  current),  and 
the  pebbles,   carried    forward   over  the  shallows  and 

reaching  the  crest  «, 
ore  borne  along  by 
their  own  inertia  and 
the  superficial  current, 
and  literally  dropped 
on  a  gravel-bank  at  some  point  forward,  such  as  &,  and, 
water  being  so  excellent  a  conductor  of  sound,  an  observer 
on  a  low  floating  craft,  during  quiet  days,  might  distinctly 
hear  this  falling,  whereas  it  would  not  be  heard  if  the 
pebbles  were  simply  rolling  along  the  bottom  in  swifter 
and  noisier  water.  The  suddenness  with  wliich  this 
crackling  commenced  and  the  gradual  manner  in  which 
it  died  out,   seem  to  confirm  this  idea.     A  series  of 


t;! 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


2;}7 


by 

and 

'ent, 


sonndini;s  bd'orr  jiiul  afttM'  llic  occurroncc!  of  those  sin<;u- 
lar  noises  would  have  settled  this  theory  ;  but  tho  sound 
recurred  so  seldom  (say  twice,  or  perhai)S  three  times,  a 
day  in  this  part  of  the  river),  that  it  was  impossible  to 
predic^t  it  in  time  to  put  tlie  tlieoi-y  to  the  test,  unless 
one  kei)t  constantly  sounding  while  upon  the  river.  Ft 
was  observed  on  the  lower  river  in  a  much  less  degree, 
and  i)robably  niiglit  there  have  i)assed  unnoticcnl  ii' 
l)revious  experience  had  not  recalled  it  to  our  attention. 

That  evening  we  camped  at  8  o'clock,  after  trying  to 
conduct  our  cumbersome  vessel  to  a  pretty  little  spot  for 
the  purpose,  but  our  well-used  "  snubbing"  line  parted 
at  the  critical  moment  and  we  drifted  down  into  a  most 
miserable  i)osition  among  the  high,  rank  willow  shoots, 
laden  with  water  from  the  recent  rains.  Towing  or 
"tracking"  our  craft  back  against  the  swift  current 
with  our  small  force  was  plainly  out  of  the  question,  and 
as  the  river  bank  seemed  of  the  same  character,  as  far  as 
we  could  see,  some  two  or  three  miles,  we  made  the  best 
of  it  and  camped,  for  we  were  getting  used  to  such 
experiences  by  this  time. 

Next  morning,  about  7  o'clock,  w^hen  we  were  nearly 
ready  to  start,  we  found  four  Ayan  Indians,  each  in  his 
birch-bark  canoe,  visiting  our  camp.  They  came  from 
the  Kali-tung  village  above,  having  left  it,  as  they  said, 
shortly  after  our  departure  on  the  preceding  day,  and  had 
camped  for  the  night  on  the  river  jii!<.  above  us.  They 
expressed  great  surprise  at  the  distance  we  liad  made  by 
simple  drifting,  having  until  this  morning  felt  certain  that 
they  had  passed  us  the  day  before  around  some  one  of  the 
many  islands  in  the  broad  river.  They  were  going  down 
the  river  some  two  or  three  hundred  miles  to  a  white 


'  1 
I 


1     n 


■I 


I 


I 


i 


If! 


!  \ 


■af  i  W 

Mk^ 

5>:38 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RfVER. 


Inidor's  store  of  which  tliey  .spoko,  and  we  kopt  passing 
each  other  Tor  the  next  three  or  four  days.  They  liad 
spoken  at  the  Kiili-tiing  viUage  of  tills  trading  sta- 
tion (whicli  we  took  to  be  Fort  Yukon),  which 
they  said  they  couhl  reach  in  three  days ;  kindly 
adding  that  we  niiglit  make  the  distance  with  our 
craft  in  a  week  or  so.  They  now  clianged  their 
minds  and  thought  we  might  only  be  a  day  or  two  behind 
them.  I  found  that  the  i)rogress  of  the  raft,  when  care 
w;is  taken  to  keej)  in  the  swiftest  current,  for  twelve  or 
fourteen  or  perhaps  sixteen  hours  a  day,  with  no  unusual 
detentions,  fully  equaled  the  average  day's  journey  of 
the  Indian  canoes,  which  remained  in  the  water  not  more 
tlum  six  or  seven  hours  a  day  ;  their  occupants  stopping 
to  hunt  every  animal  that  might  be  seen,  as  well  as  to 
cook  a  midday  lunch  at  their  leisure.  In  fact  my  o^' 
Indiiins,  who  had  traded  among  them,  more  than  hin' 
that  they  were  hurrying  considerably  in  order  to  go  along 
with  us  and  to  reach  the  white  trader's  store  as  a  portion 
of  our  party. 

These  same  four  fellows,  wdien  they  met  us  on  the  morn- 
ing of  tlie  17th,  had  with  them  the  carcass  of  a  black 
bear,  which  they  offered  for  sale  or  barter  ;  and  on  our 
buying  one  hindquarter,  which  w^as  about  all  that  we 
thought  we  could  use  before  spoiling,  they  offered  us  the 
rest  as  a  gift.  We  accej^ted  the  offer  to  the  extent  of 
taking  the  other  hindquarter,  for  which  we  gave  them  a 
trifle,  whereupon  the  rest  of  the  carcass  was  left  behind 
or  thrown  away  on  the  beach,  a  circumstance  which  was 
explained  to  us  by  the  fact  that  all  four  of  these  Indians 
were  medicine-men,  and  as  such  were  forbidden  by  some 
superstitious  custom  from  eating  bears'  flesh.  They  told 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMP  ART i^. 


2no 


us  tliat  the  iiuinuil  was  tlio  same  black  bear  we  had  s(m>ii 
on  the  northern  hillsides  of  the  river  tlie  (hiy  before. 

Tile  morning  of  tlie  17tli  and  certain  other  periods  of 
tlie  (hiy  were  cliaracterized  by  a  heavy  f()<i;-bank,  whicli 
did  not  quite  reacli  tlie  river  bottom,  but  cut  the  hill- 
sides at  an  altitude  of  from  three  hundied  to  liv<^  hundr«'d 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  stream.  The  fog  gave  a  dismal 
and  monotonous  aspect  to  the  landscape,  but  proved  much 
better  for  our  physical  comfort  than  the  pn^vious  day,  with 
its  alternating  rain  and  blistering  heat.  We  found  these 
fogs  to  be  very  common  on  this  part  of  the  river,  being 
almost  inseparable  from  the  southern  winds  that  prevail 
at  this  time  of  the  year.  I  suppose  these  fogs  procet'd 
from  the  moisture-laden  nir  over  the  warm  Pacilic  whicli 
is  borne  on  the  southern  winds  across  the  snow-clad  and 
glacier-crowned  mountains  of  the  Alaskan  coast  range, 
becoming  chilled  and  condensed  in  its  progress,  and 
reaching  this  part  of  the  Yukon  valley  is  precipitated  as 
rain  or  fog.  The  reason  that  we  had  escaped  the  fogs  on  the 
lakes  was  that  the  wind  came  across  tracts  of  land  to  the 
south,  and  the  hygrometric  conditions  were  different. 
A  little  further  down  the  Yukon,  but  within  the  upper 
ramparts,  we  suffered  from  almost  constant  rains  that 
beat  with  the  southern  winds  upon  our  backs. 

Shortly  after  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  floated 
by  the  mouth  of  the  White  River  flowing  from  the  south- 
west, which  has  the  local  name  of  Yii-ko-kon  Heena,  or 
Yu-ko-kon  River,  a  much  prettier  name  than  the  old  one 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  traders.  The  Chilkats  call  it  the 
Sand  River,  from  the  innumerable  bars  and  banks  of 
sand  along  its  course  ;  and  many  years  ago  they  ascended 
it  by  a  trail,  which  when  continued  leads  to  their  own 


240 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREA  T  RIVER. 


,it 


'■':''    1 


|l''* 


MT  ■    ii' 


'.i  ,! 


!:!'  :^|  1  ; 


country,  but  is  now  abandoned.  Some  forty  to  fifty 
miles  up  its  valley  the  Indian  trading  trail  which  leads 
from  the  headwaters  of  the  Tanana  to  old  Fort  Selkirk 
crosses  .  ^s  course  at  right  angles ;  and  since  the  destruc- 
tion of  Fort  Selkirk  in  1851,  the  Tanana  Indians,  who 
then  made  considerable  use  of  the  trail  to  reach  the  fort 
for  trading  i)urposes,  employ  it  but  little  ;  and  only  then 
as  far  as  the  White  River,  whose  valley  they  descend  to 
reach  the  Yukon. 

This  stream  resembles  a  river  of  liquid  mud  of  an 
almost  white  hue,  from  which  chp.racteristic  it  is  said  to 
have  derived  its  nan-  from  the  old  Hudson  Bay  traders 
— and  no  better  illustration  of  i^'s  extreme  muddlness  can 
be  given  than  the  following  :  One  of  our  party  mistook 
a  mass  of  timber  that  had  lodged  on  the  up-stream  side 
of  a  low,  flat  mud-bav,  for  floating  wood,  and  regarded 
it  as  evidence  of  a  I'veshet,  a  theory  which  seemed  cor- 
roborated by  the  muddy  condition  of  the  water,  until 
the  actual  character  of  the  object  was  established  by 
closer  obseri-n  i  i«-'n  as  we  drifted  nearer.  The  mud-bar 
and  adjacent  waters  were  so  entirely  of  the  same  color 
that  the  line  of  demarc  ation  was  aot  readily  apparent, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  the  drift  rubbish  around  the 
former  it  might  have  escaped  our  scrutiny  even  at  our 
short  distance  from  it.  The  Indians  say  that  the  White 
River  rises  in  glacier-bearing  lands,  and  that  it  is  very 
swift,  and  full  of  rapids  along  its  whole  course.  So 
swift  is  it  at  its  mouth,  that  as  it  pours  its  muddy  waters 
into  the  rapid  Yukon  it  carries  them  nearly  across  that 
clear  blue  stream  ;  the  waters  of  the  two  rivers  mingling 
almost  at  cnce,  and  not  running  distinct  for  miles  side 
by  side,  as  is  stated  in  one  book  on  Alaska.     From  the 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 

mouth  of  the  W^iite  or  Yu'ko-kon  to  Bering  Sea,  nearly 
1,500  miles,  ^he  Yukon  is  so  muddy  as  to  be  noticeable 
even  when  its  water  is  taken  up  in  the  palm  of  the  hand ; 
and  all  fishing  with  hook  and  line  ceases. 

About  four  in  the  afternoon  the  mouth  of  the  Stewart 
River  was  passed,  and,  beingcovered  with  islands,  might 
not  have  been  noticed  except  for  its  valley,  which  is  very 
noticeable — a  broad  valley  fenced  in  by  high  hills.  A 
visit  to  the  shore  in  our  canoe  showed  its  mouth  to  be 
deltoid  in  character,  three  mouths  being  observed,  and 
others  probably  existing.  Islands  were  very  numerous 
in  this  portion  of  the  Yukon,  much  more  so  than  in  any 
part  of  the  river  we  had  yet  visited,  and  as  the  raft  had 
drifted  on  while  I  went  ashore  in  the  canoe,  I  had  a  very 
hard  task  to  find  it  again  and  came  within  a  scratch  of 
losing  it,  having  passed  beyond  the  camp,  and  being 
compelled  to  return.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening  and  the  low  north-western  sun  shone  squarely  in 
our  faces,  as  we  descended  the  river,  eagerly  looking  for 
the  ascending  smoke  of  the  camp-fire,  which  had  been 
agreed  upon,  before  separation,  as  the  signal  to  be  kept 
going  until  we  returned.  The  setting  sun  throwing  its 
slanting  rays  upon  each  point  of  woods  that  ran  from 
the  hillsides  down  to  the  water's  edge,  illumined  the  top 
of  them  with  a  whitish  li.T-ht  until  each  one  exactly 
resembled  a  camp-fire  on  tho  river  bank  with  the  feathery 
smoke  floating  off  along  tue  tree  tops.  Even  my  Indian 
canoeman  was  deceived  at  first,  until  half  a  dozen  ap- 
pearing together  in  sight  convinced  him  of  his  error. 
All  these  islands  were  densely  covered  with  spruce  and 
poplar,  and  the  swift  current  cutting  into  their  alluvial 
banks,  though  the  latter  were  frozen  six  or  eight  feet 


11! 


i', ! 


'    t!l 


U 


n 


111 


■'  (. 


1   ■                  (  jl 

1               ; 

j 

ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

thick,  kept  their  edges  bristling  with  freshly-fallen  tim- 
ber ;  and  it  was  almost  courting  destruction  to  get  under 
this  abatis  of  trees  with  the  raft,  in  tlie  powerfid  cur- 
rent, to  avoid  which  some  of  our  hardest  work  was  nec- 
essary. The  preservative  power  of  this  constantly 
frozen  ground  must  be  very  great,  as  in  many  places  we 
saw  protruding  from  the  high  banks  great  accumulations 
of  driftwood  and  logs  over  which  there  was  soil  two  and 
three  feet  thick,  which  had  been  formerly  carried  by  the 
river,  and  from  which  sprung  forests  of  sj^ruce  timber, 
as  high  as  any  in  sight,  at  whose  feet  were  rotting  trunks 
that  must  have  been  saplings  centuries  ago.  Yet 
wherever  this  ancient  driftwood  had  been  undermined  and 
washed  of  its  dirt  and  thrown  upon  the  beach  along  with 
the  tree  but  just  fallen,  the  difference  between  the  two 
was  only  that  the  latter  still  retained  its  green  bark,  and 
its  broken  Jimbs  were  not  so  abraded  and  worn  ;  but 
there  seemed  to  be  no  essential  difference  in  the  fiber  of 
the  timber. 

The  evening  of  the  17th,  having  scored  forty  geo- 
graphical miles,  we  jamped  on  a  low  gravel  bar,  and 
bivouacked  in  the  open  air  so  clear  and  still  was  the 
night,  although  by  morning  huge  drops  of  rain  were  fall- 
ing on  our  upturned  faces. 

On  the  18tli,  shortly  after  noon,  we  passed  a  num- 
ber of  Tahk-ong  Indians,  -itretched  upon  the  green 
sward  of  the  right  bank  leisurely  enjoying  themselves  ; 
their  birch-bark  canoes,  sixteen  in  all,  being  pulled  up 
on  the  gravel  beach  in  front  of  them.  It  was  probably  a 
trading  or  hunting  party,  there  being  one  person  for  each 
canoe,  none  of  whom  were  women.  Already  we  ob- 
served an  increase  in  the  size  and  a  greater  cumbrousness 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


243 


geo- 

and 

the 

fall- 


1  up 
blya 
each 
ob- 
sness 


in  the  build  of  the  birch-bark  canoes,  when  compared 
with  tlie  fairy-lilve  craft  of  tlie  Ayans,  a  ('hara('teristi(; 
that  slowly  increased  as  we  descended  the  river  until  the 
Jcla^,  or  sealskin  canoe  of  the  Eskimo  is  eiuiountered 
along  the  lower  waters  of  the  great  river.  Of  course 
this  change  of  build  reflects  no  discredit  iijjon  the  skill 
of  the  makers,  as  a  heavier  jraft  is  required  to  navigate 


MOOSE-SKIN    VOrNTAIN,    AND     CAMP   33    AT  THE    MOUTH    Oi     DKKR 

KIVER. 

the  rougher  water,  as  the  broa.l  stream  is  stirred  up  by 
the  persistent  southern  Avinds  of  the  Yukon  ba'<i,i. 

About  8.130  p.  M.  we  passed  an  Indian  cMmp  on  the 
left  bank,  which,  from  the  seeming  good  quality  of  their 
canvas  tents  as  viewed  from  the  river,  we  judged  might 
X^rove  to  be  a  inining  i)arty  of  whites.  From  them  we 
learned  that  there  was  a  deserted  white  man's  store  but 


N  t  ■ 


m 


I '  I 


i 


' 


"l;'iji 


i  1;  <s> 


;Ui 


1  : 

i 

:\  '■ 

■yii  ^  ''' 

III  ;'  ' 

244 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER, 


a  few  miles  beyond,  but  that  the  trader  himself,  had 
quitted  tiie  place  several  months  before,  going  down  to 
salt-water,  as  they  expressed  it.  This  was  evidently  the 
same  trader  the  Ayans  expected  to  meet  at  a  little  semi- 
permanent station  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company 
dubbed  Fort  Reliance  ;  and  they  ^eemed  quite  discom- 
fited at  his  departure,  although  he  had  left  the  preced- 
ing autumn,  and  as  we  afterward  ascertained  more  from 
fear  of  the  Indians  in  his  neighborhood  than  any  other 
reason. 

We  camped  that  night  at  the  mouth  of  a  noticeable 
but  small  stream  coming  in  from  the  east,  which  we 
afterward  learned  was  called  Deer  Creek  by  the  traders, 
from  the  large  number  of  caribou  or  woodland  reindeer 
seen  in  its  valley  at  certain  times  of  their  migrations. 

At  this  point  of  its  course  the  Yukon  River  is  extremely 
narrow  in  comparison  with  the  distance  from  its  head — 
about  700  miles, — and  considering  its  previous  mean 
width,  being  here  only  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  across.  It  certainly  must  have  great  depth 
to  be  able  to  carry  the  immense  volume  of  water  of  so 
swift  and  wide  a  river  as  it  is  above,  for  the  current  does 
not  seem  to  increase  appreciably  in  this  narrow  channel. 

Directly  northward  in  plain  sight  is  a  prominent  land- 
mark on  this  part  of  the  river,  viz. ,  a  high  hill  called  by 
the  Indians  "the  moose-skin  mountain."  Two  ravines 
that  converge  from  its  top  again  diverge  when  about  to 
meet  about  half  way  down  the  mountain  slope,  and 
along  these  two  .^^ms  of  an  hyperbola  there  has  been  a 
great  landslide,  laying  bare  the  dull  red  ocherous  soil 
beneath,  which  contrasts  almost  vividly  with  the  bright 
green  of  the  grass  and  foliage  of  the  mountain  flank,  and 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


245 


in  shape  and  color  resembles  a  gigantic  moose-skin 
stretched  out  to  dry.  That  day's  drift  gave  us  forty- 
seven  and  a  half  miles,  and  all  our  scores  were  good 
while  passing  the  ramparts,  the  delays  from  sand,  mud 
and  gravel  bars  being  very  small. 

Believing  that  I  was  now  in  close  proximity  to  the 
British  boundary,  as  shown  by  our  dead  reckoning — kept 
by  Mr.  Homan, — I  reluctantly  determined  on  giving  a 
day  (the  19th  of  July)  to  astronomical  observations, — 
reluctantly  because  every  day  was  of  vital  importance  in 
reaching  St.  Michael's,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  in 
time  to  reach  any  outgoing  vessels  for  the  United  States  ; 
for  if  too  late  to  catch  them,  we  should  have  to  spend  a 
dismal  and  profitless  year  at  that  place.  That  day,  how- 
ever, proved  so  tempestuous,  and  the  prospect  so  unin- 
viting, that  after  getting  a  couple  of  poor  "sights"  for 
longitude,  I  ordered  camp  broken,  and  we  got  away 
shortly  after  eleven  o'clock. 

A  few  minutes  before  one  o'clock  we  passed  the 
abandoned  trading  station  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river,  which  we  surmised  from  certain  maps  and  from 
subsequent  information  to  be  the  one  named  Fort 
Reliance.  It  was  a  most  dilapidated-looking  frontier 
pile  of  shanties,  consisting  of  one  main  house,  probably 
the  store,  above  ground,  and  three  or  four  cellar-like 
houses,  the  ruined  roofs  of  which  were  the  only  vestiges 
remaining  above  ground.  The  Indians  said  that  Mr. 
McQuestion,  the  trader,  had  left  on  account  of  severe 
sickness,  but  his  own  story,  when  we  met  him  afterward 
on  the  lower  river,  was  that  he  was  sick  of  the  Indians, 
the  main  tribe  of  which  were  peaceful  enough,  but  con- 
tained several  ugly  tempered  communistic  medicine-men 


:1 


i  I 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER, 


\  ii- 


:  i';! 


m'-:^' 


M'A 


11 


!i    '      ,!     ! 


'■'    '■  li.Li 


■I  ! 


i  ( 


!l  .■ 


,ii  !(, 


who  had  threatened  his  life  in  order  to  get  rid  of  liis 
competition  in  tlie  drug  business,  which  resulted  greatly 
to  their  iinancial  detriment. 

Nearly  opposite  Fort  Reliance  was  the  Indian  village 
of  Noo-klak-6,  or  Nuclaco,  numbering  about  one  hund- 
red and  fifty  X)eople.  Our  approach  was  welcomed  by 
a  protracted  salute  of  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  dis- 
charges of  their  old  rusty  muskets,  to  which  we  replied 
with  a  far  less  number.  Despite  the  great  value  of  pow- 
der and  other  ammunition  to  these  poor  isolated  savages, 
who  are  often  obliged  to  make  journeys  of  many  hund- 
reds of  miles  in  order  to  procure  them,  and  must  often- 
times be  in  sore  need  of  them  for  hunting  purposes,  they 
do  not  hesitate  in  exciting  times — and  every  visit  of  t: 
stranger  causes  excitement — to  waste  their  ammunition 
in  foolish  bangings  and  silly  salutes  that  suggest  the 
vicinity  of  a  powder  magazine.  I  suppose  the  expendi- 
ture on  our  visit,  if  judiciously  employed  in  hunting, 
would  have  supplied  their  village  with  meat  for  probably 
a  month  ;  and  yet  we  drifted  by  with  hardly  a  response. 
This  method  of  saluting  is  very  common  along  the  river 
from  this  point  on,  and  is,  I  believe,  an  old  Russian  cus- 
tom which  has  found  its  way  thus  far  up  the  stream, 
which  is  much  beyond  where  they  liad  ever  traded.  It 
is  a  custom  often  mentioned  in  descriptions  of  travel  fur- 
ther down  the  river.  The  permanent  number  of  inhab- 
itants, according  to  Mr.  McQuestion,  was  about  seventy- 
five  or  eighty ;  and  therefore  there  must  have  been  a 
great  number  of  visitors  among  them  at  the  time  of  our 
passing.  They  seemed  very  much  disappointed  that  we 
did  not  visit  their  village,  and  the  many  who  crowded 
around  the  drifting  raft  in  their  little  fleet  of  canoes 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


247 


n  a 

our 

we 

(led 

noes 


spoi?;e  only  of  tea  and  tobacco,  for  whicli  tliey  seemed 
ready  to  barter  their  very  souls.  Their  prin(!ipal  diet  in 
summer  and  early  fall  is  furnished  by  the  salmon  of  the 
Yukon,  while  during  winter  and  spring,  until  the  ice 
disappears,  they  feed  on  the  flesh  of  moose  and  caribou. 
A  trader  on  the  upper  river  told  me  that  the  ice  of  the 
stream  is  removed  from  the  upper  ramparts  and  above 
principally  by  melting,  while  all  that  covers  the  Yukon 
below  that  part  is  washed  out  by  the  spring  rise  of  the 
river,  there  being  fully  a  month's  difference  in  the  mat- 
ter between  the  two  districts.  Noo-klak-o'  was  a  semi- 
permanent village,  but  a  most  squalid-looking  affair, — 
somewhat  resembling  the  Ayan  town,  but  with  a  much 
greater  preponderance  of  canvas.  Most  of  the  native 
visitors  we  saw  were  Tanana'  Indians,  and  I  was  some- 
what surprised  to  find  them  put  the  accent,  in  a  broad 
way,  on  the  second  syllable,  Ta-nah' -nee,  differing 
radically  from  the  pronunciation  of  the  same  iianie  by 
the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  by  most  white 
travelers  of  the  Lowpr  Yukon.  From  this  point  a  trail 
leads  south-westward  over  the  mountains  to  a  tributary 
of  the  Tannna,  by  means  of  which  tliese  Indians  visit 
Noo-klak-o.  The  lOtli  was  a  most  disagreeable  day,  with 
alternating  rain  showers  and  drifting  fog,  which  had  fol- 
lowed us  since  the  day  of  our  failure  in  securing  astro- 
nomical observations,  and  to  vary  ti.  ;  discomfort,  after 
making  less  than  thirty  miles  we  stuck  so  fast  on  the 
upper  point  of  a  long  gravel  bar  that  we  had  to  carry 
our  effects  ashore  on  our  backs,  and  there  camp  with 
only  half  a  dozen  water-logged  sticks  for  a  camp-fire. 
What  in  the  world  any  musquito  wanted  to  do  out  on  that 
desert  of  a  sand-bar  in  a  cold  drifting  fog  I  could  never 


I' 


''^  ill, 

:  I   -I   ill 


Ui'-. 

ill! 

f 


:-i  J 


''^■'<i.m;. 


248 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


imagine,  but  before  our  beds  were  fairly  made  they  put 
in  an  appearance  in  the  usual  unlimited  numbers  and 
made  sleep,  after  a  hard  day's  work,  almost  impossible. 

Starting  at  8:10  a.m.,  next  morning,  from  Camp  33,  at 
11:30  we  passed  a  good  sized  river  coming  in  from  the 
west,  which  I  named  the  Cone-Hill  River,  from  the  fact 
that  there  is  a  prominent  conical  hill  in  the  center  of  its 
broad  valley,  near  the  mouth. 

Just  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Cone-Hill  River  we 
suddenly  came  in  sight  of  some  four  or  five  black  and 
brown  bears  in  an  open  or  untimbered  space  of  about  an 
acre  or  two  on  the  steep  hillsides  of  the  western  slope. 
The  raft  was  left  to  look  after  itself  and  we  gave  them  a 
running  volley  of  skirmish  fire  that  sent  them  scamper- 
ing up  the  steep  hill  into  the  dense  brush  and  timber, 
their  principal  loss  being  loss  of  breath.  By  not  attend- 
ing to  the  navigation  of  our  craft  in  the  excitement  of 
the  short  bear  hunt  we  ran  on  a  submerged  rock  in  a 
current  so  swift  that  we  swung  around  so  rapidly  as 
almost  to  throw  a  number  of  us  overboard,  stuck  for  a 
couple  of  minutes  with  the  water  boiling  over  the  stern, 
and  in  general  lost  our  faith  in  the  ability  of  our  vessel 
to  navigate  itself.  In  a  previous  chapter  I  have  men- 
tioned having  been  told  by  a  person  in  southern  Alaska, 
undoubtedly  conscientious  in  his  statement,  and  having 
considerable  experience  as  a  hunter,  that  the  black  and 
brown  bear  of  his  district  never  occupied  the  same 
localities,  and  although  the  sequence  of  these  localities 
might  be  as  promiscuous  as  the  white  and  black  squares 
on  a  checker-board,  yet  each  species  remained  wholly  on 
his  own  color,  so  to  speak ;  and  this  led  him  to  believe 
that  the  weaker  of  the  two,  the  black  bear,  had  good 


!(!■ 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


249 


reason  to  be  afraid  of  his  more  powerful  neighbor.  This 
day's  observation  of  the  two  species  living  together,  in 
one  very  small  area,  shows  either  an  error  of  judgment 
on  the  part  of  the  observer  mentioned,  or  a  difference  of 
the  ursine  nature  in  different  regions. 

After  leaving  the  Stewart  River,  which  had  been  iden- 
tified by  a  sort  of  reductlo  ad  ahsurdum  reasoning,  I 
found  it  absolutely  impossible  to-  identity  any  of  th^ 
other  streams  from  the  descriptions  and  maps  now  ifl 
existence,  even  when  aided  oy  the  imperfect  information 
derived  from  the  local  tribes.  Indianne,  my  Chilkat- 
Tahk-heesh  interpreter,  got  along  very  well  among  the 
latter  tribe.  Among  the  Ayans  were  many  who  spoke 
Tahk-heesh,  with  whom  they  traded,  and  here  we  had 
but  little  trouble.  Even  lower  down  we  managed  to  get 
along  after  a  fashion,  for  one  or  two  of  the  Ayan  medi- 
cine-men who  came  as  far  as  Fort  Reliance  with  us, 
could  occasionally  be  found,  and  they  understood  the 
lower  languages  pretty  fairly,  and  although  we  struggled 
through  four  or  five  tongues  we  could  still  make  out 
that  tea  and  tobacco  were  the  leading  topics  of  conver- 
sation everywhere.  Beyond  Fort  Reliance,  and  after 
bidding  adieu  to  our  four  Ayans,  we  were  almost  at  sea, 
but  occasionally  in  the  most  roundabout  way  we  man- 
aged to  elicit  information  of  a  limited  character. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  the 
20tli,  we  floated  past  a  remarkable-looking  rock,  stand- 
ing conspicuously  in  a  flat  level  bottom  of  the  river  on 
the  eastern  side,  and  very  prominent  in  its  isolation.  I 
could  not  but  notice  the  strong  resemblance  between  it 
and  Castle  Rock  on  the  Columbia  River,  although  I 
judge  it  to  be  only  about  one-half  or  two-thirds  the  size 


I'i  i  ' 


,,  I 


i:.    1; 


I 

:  1    '  t       ' 

li 


250 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


of  tho  latter,  but  much  more  prominent,  not  being  over- 
sluidovved  by  neurtiiid  liigher  mountains.  I  called  it  the 
lloquette  Rock,  in  honor  of  M.  Alex,  de  la  Ro(Xuette, 
of  the  Paris  Geographical  So(!iety.  The  Indians  have  a 
legend  connected  with  it,  so  it  is  said,  that  the  Yukon 
River  once  flowed  along  the  distant  hills  back  of  it,  and 
that  the  rock  formed  part  of  the  bluff  seen  in  the  illus- 
tration just  below,  overhanging  the  western  shore  of 
the  river,  both  being  about  the  same  height  and  singu- 


UOQUKTTIC    ROCK. 
(As  we  appro iclicd  looking  down  the  stream.) 

larly  alike  in  other  respects.  Here  the  bluff  and  rock 
lived  many  geological  periods  in  wedded  bliss  as  man 
and  wife,  but  finally  family  dissensions  invaded  the 
rocky  household  and  culminated  in  the  stony-hearted 
husband  kicking  his  wrangling  wife  into  the  center  of 
the  distant  plain,  and  changing  the  course  of  the  great 
river  so  that  it  flowed  between  them  to  emphasize  the 
perpetual  divorce.    The  bluff  and  the  rock,  so  my  in- 


IN 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


'>-. 


.■)! 


formant  told  mo,  aro  still  known  amon^  tlio  Indians  as 
"the  old  man"  and  "  tho  old  wife."  Despite  a  most 
disagreeable  day,  on  the,  2()t]i  we  showed  a  record  of 
forty-live  geographicial  miles,  by  way  of  ('omp<'nsation 
for  the  dark  lowering  clouds  that  hung  over  us  like  a  i)a]l. 
The  scenery  passed  thatday  would  hjiv(!il)een])icturesque 
enough  when  viewed  tlirougli  any  other  medium  than 
that  of  a  wretched  drizzle  of  niin.  Just  before  camj)- 
ing  we  saw  high  peri)endicular  bluffs  of  what  appeared 
to  be  limestone,  frowning  over  us  from  the  eastein 
shore,  which  were  i)erforated  with  huge  caverns  that 
would  have  made  good  dens  for  l)ears,  but  their  situation 
was  such  that  no  bears  not  possessing  wings  could  have 
reached  them.  On  the  map  this  bluff  llgures  as  Cave 
Rock. 

AVe  got  a  late  start  on  the  21st,  the  wretched  weather 
being  good  for  late  sleeping  if  for  nothing  else,  the  nud- 
dle  of  the  forenoon  finding  us  just  pulling  out.  At 
noon  we  passed  a  good-sized  river  coming  in  from  the 
east,  but  if  it  had  been  mapped  we  were  unable  to  iden- 
tify it.  A  few  minutes  afterward  w^e  swung  around  a 
sharp  bend  in  the  river  and  saw  a  confused  mass  of 
brush  or  logs  that  denoted  an  Indian  village  in  the  dis- 
tance, a  supposition  confirmed  by  the  number  of  canoes 
afloat  in  its  front  and  by  a  motley  crowd  of  natives  on 
the  bank,  well  mingled  with  the  inevitable  troop  of  dogs 
that  to  the  eye  of  the  experienced  traveler  is  as  sure  a 
sign  of  an  Indian  village  as  both  Indians  and  houses 
together.  This  was  the  first  Indian  village  we  had  en- 
countered on  the  river  deserving  the  name  of  perma- 
nent, and  even  here  the  logs  of  which  the  cabins,  six 
in  number,  were  built,  seemed  to  be  mere  poles,  and  by 


!:  M 


M 


!! 


ii    ti 


; 


III' 


;Mi 


!' 

''  \ 

1'  i- 

V' 

1  ^ 
t 

252  ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

no  means  as  substantially  built  as  it  might  liavo  been 
with  the  material  at  liand.  It  was  perched  up  on  a  hi^h 
flat  bank  on  the  western  side  of  tin;  river,  the  f?able  ends 
of  the  house  frontin<;  the  stream,  and  all  of  them  very 
clos«»  together,  there  being  only  one  or  two  places  wide 
enough  for  a  path  to  allow  the  inmates  to  pass.  The 
fronts  of  the  houses  are  nearly  on  the  same  line,  and  this 
row  is  so  close  to  the  scarp  of  the  bank  that  the  ''street" 
in  front  is  a  very  narrow  path,  where  two  persons  can 
hardly  pass  unless  one  of  them  steps  indoors  or  down 
the  hill ;  and  when  I  visited  the  village  the  road  was 
so  monojjolized  by  scratching  dogs  that  I  could  hardly 
force  my  way  through  them.  This  street  may  have  been 
much  wider  in  times  of  yore — for  it  seemed  to  be  quite 
an  old  village — and  the  encroachments  of  the  eroding 
river  during  freshets  may  have  reduced  it  to  its  present 
narrowness.  If  so,  it  \.11l  not  be  long  before  the  present 
village  must  be  abandoned  or  set  back  some  distan(!e. 
Further  up  the  river  we  saw  a  single  pole  house  pro- 
jecting over  the  bank  about  a  fourth  or  a  third  of  its 
length,  and  deserted  by  its  occupants.  The  body  of  the 
houses  is  of  a  very  inferior  construction,  in  which  ven- 
tilation seems  to  be  the  predominating  idea  (although 
even  this  is  not  developed  to  a  sufficient  degree,  as 
judged  by  one's  nose  upon  entering),  and  the  large  door 
in  front  is  roughly  closed  by  a  well-riddled  moose  or 
caribou  skin,  or  occasionally  by  a  piece  of  canvas  so 
dirty  that  at  the  distance  of  a  few  feet  it  might  be 
taken  for  an  animal's  skin.  The  roofs  are  of  skins 
battened  down  by  spruce  poles,  which,  projecting  beyond 
the  comb  in  irregular  lengths,  often  six  and  eight  feet, 
gave  the  whole  village  a  most  bristling  appearance.    A 


o 


•y. 


V, 


i  '  *S 


iii 


»*l 


'!  iil. 


!i 


1; 

m 

Ihfl'll     1 

HK 

!f^T 

ihilf  1 

!■■■' 

1. 

' 

.,t 

Vf      1 

■  j 

ii . 

;.  I- 

t 

W  .1 

( ■  1) 

ill 

!! 

lii 

Ifi 


■t,?'''i 


1 

;  i :      1 

'It'   il  '■ 

E 

'i'  '  ■ 

H 

i  1 

m 

M 

iii. 

THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


fire  is  built  on  tiie  dirt-floor,  in  tlie  center  of  the  hab- 
itation, and  tlie  smoke  left  to  get  out  the  best  way  it  can. 
As  the  occupants  are  generally  sitting  flat  on  the  floor, 
or  stretched  out  ac  full  length  on  their  backs  or  stom- 
achs in  the  dirt,  they  are  in  a  stratum  of  air  comp;ira- 
tively  clear ;  or,  at  least,  endurable  to  Indian  lungs. 
The  ascending  smoke  finds  am]  le  air-holes  among  the 
upper  cracks  of  the  walls,  while  that  dense  mass  of  it 
which  is  retained  under  the  skins  of  the  ro<^f,  nudving  it 
almost  impossible  to  stand  upright,  is  utilized  for  smok- 
ing the  salmon  which  are  hung  up  in  this  space.  The 
Indian  name  of  the  village  is  Klat-ol-klin',  but  it  is  gen- 
erally known  on  the  Middle  River  as  Johnny's  Village, 
after  the  chief's  Americanized  name.  That  dignitary 
was  absent  on  a  journey  of  several  days  dov:n  the  river, 
at  the  time  of  our  arrival. 

A  number  of  long  leaning  poles,  braced  on  their  down- 
hill ends  by  cross  uprights,  were  noticed  on  the  gravel 
beach  in  front  of  the  village  ;  these  serve  as  scaffoldings 
upon  which  to  dry  salmon  in  the  sun,  and  to  keep  them 
from  the  many  dogs  while  undergoing  this  jirocess. 
While  taking  a  photograph  of  the  town,  two  or  tlii'ee 
salmon  fell  from  the  poles  ;  and  in  a  twinkling  fully 
sixty  or  seventy  dogs  were  huddled  together  about  them 
in  a  writhing  mass,  each  one  trying  to  get  his  share, — and 
that  of  several  others.  The  camera  was  sighted  toward 
them,  a  hurried  guess  made  as  to  the  proper  focus,  and 
an  instantaneous  view  attempted,  but  the  negative  looked 
more  like  a  representation  of  an  approaching  thunder 
sliower,  and  I  never  afterwnrd  printed  from  it.  Occasion- 
ally in  these  rushes  a  row  of  scaffolding  will  be  knocked 
down,  and  if  it  happens  to  be  loaded  with  salmon  the 


li^ll 


w 


im 


II 


250 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


consequent  feast  will  be  of  a  more  extensive  nature. 
TiKise  clo^s  were  of  a  smaller  breed,  and  noticeably  of  a 
darker  color,  than  the  Eskimo  dogs  of  the  lower  river. 
They  are  employed  by  these  Indians  for  the  same  i)ur- 
poses,  but  to  a  more  limited  extent. 

It  was  at  this  village  that  what  to  me  was  the  most 
wonderful  and  striking  performance  given  by  any  n?>tives 
WH  (Micountered  on  the  whole  trip  was  displayed.  I  refer 
t(^  their  method  of  fishing  for  salmon.  I  have  already 
s[)oken  of  the  extreme  muddiness  of  the  Yukon  below 
tlie  mouth  of  the  White  River ;  and  this  spot,  of  course, 
is  no  excei^tion.  I  believe  I  do  not  exaggerate  in  the  least 
when  I  say,  that,  if  an  ordinary  pint  tin-cup  were  filled 
with  it,  nothing  could  be  seen  at  the  bottom  until  the  sed- 
iment had  settled.  The  water  is  about  nine  or  ten  feet 
deeji  on  the  fishing  banks  in  front  of  the  houses,  where 
they  fish  with  their  nets  ;  or  at  least  that  is  about  the 
length  of  the  poles  to  which  the  nets  are  attached.  The 
salmon  I  saw  them  take  were  caught  about  two  hundred 
or  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  directly  out  from  the  shore 
in  front  of  the  houses.  Standing  in  front  of  this  row  of 
cabins,  some  person,  generally  an  old  man,  squaw  or 
child,  possibly  on  duty  for  that  purpose,  would  an- 
nounce, in  a  loud  voice,  that  a  salmon  was  coming  up  the 
river,  perhaps  from  a  quarter  to  a  third  of  a  mile  away. 
This  news  would  stir  up  some  young  man  from  the 
cabins,  who  from  his  elevated  position  in  front  of  them 
would  identify  the  salmon's  position,  and  then  run  down 
to  the  beacli,  pick  up  his  canoe,  paddle  and  net,  launch 
the  former  and  start  rapidly  out  into  the  river  ;  the  net 
lying  on  the  canoe's  birch  deck  in  front  of  him,  his 
movements  being  guided  by  his  own  sight  and  that  of  a 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


257 


let 


half  dozen  others  on  the  high  bank,  all  shouting  advice  to 
him  at  the  same  time.  Evidently,  in  the  canoe  he  could 
not  judge  well  of  the  fish's  position,  especially  at  a  dis- 
tance ;  for  he  seemed  to  rely  on  the  advice  from  tlie 
shore  to  direct  his  movements  until  the  hsh  was  near 
him,  when  with  two  or  three  dexterous  and  powerful 
strokes  with  both  hands,  he  shot  the  little  canoe  to  a 
point  near  the  position  he  wished  to  take  up,  regulating 
its  liner  movements  by  the  paddle  used  as  a  sculling 
oar  in  his  left  hand,  while  with  his  right  \u)  grasped 
the  net  at  the  end  of  its  handle  and  plunged  it  into 
the  water  the  whole  length  of  its  pole  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  river  (some  nine  or  ten  feet) ;  oftyn  lean- 
ing far  over  and  thrusting  the  arm  deep  into  the 
water,  so  us  to  adjust  the  mouth  of  the  net,  covering 
about  two  square  feet,  directly  over  the  course  of  the 
salmon  so  as  to  entrap  him.  Of  seven  attempts,  at 
intervals  covering  three  hours,  two  were  successful  (and 
in  two  others  salmon  were  caught  but  escaped  while  the 
nets  Avere  being  raised),  salmon  being  taken  that  weighed 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds.  How  these  Indians  can 
see  at  this  distance  the  coming  of  a  single  salmon  along 
the  bottom  of  a  river  eight  or  ten  feet  deep,  and  deter- 
mine their  course  or  position  near  enough  to  catch  them 
in  the  narrow  mouth  of  a  small  net,  when  immediately 
under  the  eye  a  vessel  holding  that  number  of  inches  of 
water  from  the  muddy  river  completej'y  obscures  an  ob- 
ject at  its  bottom,  is  a  problem  that  I  will  not  attempt  to 
solve.  Their  success  depends  of  course  in  some  way  on 
the  motion  of  the  tish.  In  vain  they  attempted  to  show 
members  of  my  party  the  coming  fish.  I  feel  perfectly 
satisfied  that  none  of  the  white  men  could  see  the  slight- 


Mi 


l!    i 


;; 


!l> 


!     t 


1;  ',i||: 
I'  1 1       J 


*p 

i'i 

i 

I  ■ 

P 

|';y        L     ; 

If 

!•        ■    ■ 

( 

1  :■    '' 

i  ■ 

1  ;      ,  . 

258 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


est  trace  of  the  movements  to  wliich  their  attention  was 
called.  Under  the  skin  roofs  of  tlieir  log-cabins  and  on 
tlie  scaffoldings  upon  the  gravel  beach  were  many  hund- 
red salmon  that  had  been  caught  in  this  curious  way. 
Tlie  only  plausible  theory  which  I  could  evolve  within 
the  limits  of  the  non-marvelous,  was,  that  the  salmon 
came  along  near  the  top  of  the  water,  so  as  to  show  or 
indicate  the  dorsal  fin,  and  that  as  it  approached  the 
canoe,  the  sight  of  it,  or  more  likely  some  slight  noise, 
made  with  that  intention,  drove  the  fish  to  the  bottom 
without  any  considerable  lateral  deviation,  whereupon 
they  were  inclosed  by  the  net.  But  my  interpreters  told 
me  (and  I  tliink  their  interpretation  was  correct  in  this 
case,  roundabout  as  it  was),  that  this  superficial  swim- 
ming did  not  take  place,  but  that  the  motion  of  the  fish 
was  communicated  from  the  deep  water  to  the  surface, 
often  when  the  fish  was  quite  at  the  bottom. 

The  nets  used  have  already  been  partially  described. 
The  mouth  is  held  open  by  a  light  wooden  frame  of  a 

reniform  shape,  as  shown  in  the 
figure  on  this  page,  and  as  one 
may  readily  see,  this  is  of  great 
advantage  in  securing  the  handle 
firmly  by  side  braces  to  the  rim 
of  the  net's  mouth  as  shown,  that 
being    undoubtedly    the    object 


KLAT-OL-KI,IN  FISHING  NETS. 

Scale,  1-30. 


sought.     Farther  down  the  river 


(that  is,  in  the  "lower  ram- 
parts"), the  reniform  rim  becomes  circular;  thus  of 
course  increasing  the  chances  of  catching  the  fish  ;  all 
the  other  dimensions,  too,  are  greatly  increased.  When 
the  salmon  is  netted,  a  turn  is  immediately  given  to  the 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


2dl) 


BALMON-KIU.INO  Cl.UB. 


handle,  thus  effectual  J  y  trapping  the  fish  below  the 
mouth  of  the  net,  and  upon  the  dexterity  thus  displayed 
no  little  of  the  fisherman's  success  depv:nds.  Two  sal- 
mon were  lost  upon  this  occasion  after  they  had  actually 
passed  into  the  net,  owing  to  lack  of  agility  in  this  opera- 
tion. When  fully  entrapped 
and  brought  alongside,  a  fish-  g 
club,  as  shown,  is  used  to  kill 
the  salmon  immediately  by  a 
hard  blow  over  the  head,  for  the  struggles  of  so  large 
a  fish  might  easily  upset  a  frail  canoe. 

Cp  to  this  time  the  birch-bark  canoes  on  the  river  had 
been  so  fragile  and  "  cranky  "  that  my  Chilkat  Indians, 
who  were  used  to  the  heavy  wooden  canoes  of  their  coun- 
try, felt  unsaf v3  in  employing  them  for  all  purposes,  but 
these  were  so  much  larger  and  stronger  in  build,  and  our 
old  Tahk-heesh  "dug-out"  so  thoroughly  worthless, 
that  we  felt  safe  in  buying  one  at  this  village,  but  for  a 
nunberofdays  "Billy''  and  "Indianne"  paddled  very 
gingerly  when  making  excursions  in  it. 

A  feAv  Hudson  Bay  toboggan  sledges  were  seen  on 
scaffolds  at  and  near  the  village  ;  they  seem  to  be  the 
j)rincipal  sledges  of  this  part  of  the  country.  The  snow 
sh^es  of  this  tribe  difl'ered  from  those  of  the  Chilkatsby 
trifling  modifications  only,  being  a  sort  of  compromise 
between  the  hunting  and  packing  snow  shoes  of  the 
latter. 

About  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  quarter  below  Klat-ol- 
klin',  and  on  the  sam;^  side  of  the  river,  is  a  fairly  con- 
structed white  man's  log  cabin,  which  had  once  been  used 
as  a  trading  store,  but  was  now  deserted.  We  afterward 
learned  that  this  trading  station  was  called  Belle  Isle, 


i'-! 


.'I 


US 


'  I 


ALONG  ALASKA\S  GREAT  RIVER. 

and  lifid  only  been  built  two  years  before,  having  been 
abiindoned  the  preceding  year  as  not  i)aying.  The  In- 
dians evidently  must  have  surnnsed  that  the  trader 
would  return,  as  th,'y  resi)ected  the  condition  in  which 
he  left  the  buildiiig,  in  a  numner  most  creditable  to  their 
honesty,  no  one  having  entered  or  disturbed  it  since  he 
left.  They  evidently  care  very 'little  for  beads  as  orna- 
ments, for  I  saw  none  of  them  wearing  that  much  cov- 
eted Indian  adornment,  Avhile  great  quantities  Avere 
scattered  around  by  the  trader  s  store,  having  been 
trampled  into  the  ground.  At  no  place  on  the  river  did 
I  lind  such  an  eagerness  for  beads  as  characterizes  the 
American  Indians  of  milder  climes,  but  nowhere  did  I 
see  such  total  disregard  for  them  as  was  shown  here. 

Near  Belle  Isle  ^s  a  i^rominent  hill  called  by  the  In- 
diajis  Ta-foi  -Jec,  its  conspicuousness  heightened  by  the 
comparative  flatness  of  the  country  which  lies  between 
two  entering  rivers  and  a  great  bend  of  the  Yukon.  As  our 
survey  showed  it  to  be  just  within  Alaska,  bordering  on 
the  boundary  between  it  and  the  British  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, I  gave  it  the  additional  name  of  Boundary  Butte. 
The  country  was  now  noticeably  more  open,  and  it  was 
evident  that  we  had  already  passed  the  most  mountainous 
l)ortion  of  the  chain,  the  intersection  of  which  by  the 
river  forms  the  upper  ramparts. 

The  next  day  we  made  thirty- six  miles,  and  as  the 
whole  day  had  been  a  most  disagreeable  one  when  at  six 
o'clock  we  got  drawn  into  an  eddy,  near  which  was 
a  fair  place  to  camp,  I  ordered  the  raft  made  fast  and  the 
tents  x)itchpd. 

That  day — the  22d — Avhile  under  way,  we  saw  a,  large 
dead  king-salmon,  floating  belly  upwards  with  the  cur- 


THROUGH  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 

rent,  and  we  kept  near  it  for  some  time.  This  spectacle 
became  more  familiar  as  we  descended,  while  everywhere 
we  met  with  the  rough  coarse  dog-salmon  strewn  upon 
the  beach,  frequently  in  such  numbers,  and  tainting  the 
air  so  strongly  with  the  odor  of  their  derny,  tliat  nn 
otherwise  good  camp  would  be  spoiled  by  their  presence. 


MOUNT  TA-TOT  -LEE,  OR    BOUXPARY    BUTTt:. 
(Aleo  showing  Middle  Yukon  River  Indians'  methods  of  killing  swimming  moose. ^ 

The  river  rose  ten  inches  that  night — a  fact  easily 
accounted  for  by  the  protracted  and  often  lieavy  rains. 
The  forenoon  of  the  23d  was  very  gloomy,  but  shortly 
after  noon  the  weather  surprised  us  by  clearing  up. 


1, 1 1' 
I-  \' 


'■    It' 


I 


.11. 


/: 


III 


!!i 


.!  .■      1 


I  t 


1 

f 

1 

H 1 

'■■'il  1  ' : 

H 

rf:P^  . 

1 

ill 

1 

r  ■■ 

'.    \    ■ 

1^ 

Hi 

M: 

2o2  ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

At  3:30  that  clay  wo  came  upon  another  Indian  town 
ciilh'd  Charley's  A'iUage ;  but  tlie  current  was  so  swift 
that  we  could  not  get  the  raft  up  to  the  bank  so  as  to 
c{\m\)  alongside,  but  we  were  successful  in  making  a 
sand-bar  about  half  a  mile  below.  Charley's  Village  was 
an  exact  counterpart  of  Johnny's,  even  as  to  the  number 
of  houses — six — ami  the  side  of  the  river — the  western  ; 
and  considering  this  and  the  trouble  to  reach  it,  I  did  not 
attempt  to  photograph  it.  When  attempting  to  reach  it 
with  the  raft,  so  anxious  were  the  Indians  for  our  success, 
that  as  many  as  could,  do  so  put  the  bows  of  their  canoes 
on  the  outer  log  of  the  raft,  and  paddled  forward  with 
as  much  vehemence  as  if  their  very  lives  depended  upon 
the  result.  In  three  or  four  minutes  they  had  worked 
tliemselves  into  a  streaming  perspiration,  and  had 
probably  shoved  the  huge  raft  as  many  inches  toward 
the  bank.  W(;  found  a  Canadian  voyageur  among  them 
of  the  name  of  Jo.  Ladue,  who,  as  a  partner  of  one  of  the 
tradei's  on  the  lower  river,  had  drifted  here  in  prospecting 
the  stream  for  precious  mineral.  "Jo,"  as  he  is  familiarly 
known,  speaks  of  the  natives  of  both  these  villages  as 
Tadoosh,  and  says  they  are  the  best-natured  Indians  from 
here  till  the  Eskimo  are  met  with.  Ladue  had  a  fairly- 
made  scow  over  twenty  fe'^t  long,  about  half  a  dozen 
wide,  and  three  deep,  whi:  n  he  wanted  to  hire  us,  but 
as  it  would  not  hold  all  the  partj^  and  effects  we  had  to 
decline  the  tender,  despite  his  emphatic  assurances  that 
we  could  not  safely  go  much  further  with  our  raft.  It 
was  with  Ladue  that  I  first  noticed  particularly  the  pro- 
nunciation of  the  name  of  the  great  river,  on  whose  waters 
we  were  diifting,  a  pronunciation  which  is  universal 
among  the  few  whites  along  its  borders,  and  that  sounded 


rimOVGIl  THE  UPPER  RAMPARTS. 


263 


strangely  at  iirst ;  tliat  is  witli  th(3  aoceiit  on  the  first 
syllable,  and  not  on  the  second,  as  Iliad  so  usually  heard 
it  pronounced  in  the  United  Statt.'s.  That  night,  tlu!  li'MA, 
the  mosquitoes  were  perfectly  unbearabh'  in  their 
assaults,  and  if  the  weather  had  not  turned  bitteily  cold 
toward  morning  I  doubt  if  we  could  have  obtained  any 
sleep  at  all,  for  the  mosquito-bars  seemed  to  be  no  pro- 
tection whatever. 

I  think  I  established  one  mosquito  theory  of  a  practical 
bearing,  on  a  pretty  lirm  basis,  while  upon  this  trip  "in 
the  land  of  the  mosquito's  paradise  ;"  and  that  was,  if 
the  insects  are  so  thick  that  they  constantly  touch  each 
other  on  the  mosquito-bar  when  cniwling  over  it,  it  will 
be  no  protection  whatever,  if  the  meshes  are  of  the  usual 
size,  and  they  will  come  in  so  fast  that  comfort  is  out  of 
the  question,  but  otherwise  there  is  some  chance  which 
increases  as  their  numbers  diminish.  Even  if  there  are 
two  or  three  to  the  square  inch  of  your  bar  of  many 
square  yards,  it  surprises  you  how  few  get  through,  but 
the  minute  they  begin  crawling  over  each  other  they 
seem  to  become  furious,  and  make  efforts  to  squeeze 
through  the  meshes  which  are  often  rewarded  with  suc- 
cess, until  a  sharp  slap  on  the  face  sounds  their  death 
knell.  The  doctor,  in  a  fit  of  exasperation,  said  he 
believed  that  two  of  them  would  hold  the  legs  and  wings 
of  another  ilat  against  its  body,  while  a  tliird  shoved  it 
through ;  but  I  doubt  the  existence  of  co-operation 
among  them.  I  think  they  are  too  mean  to  heli)  one 
another. 


!  1 


K  i 


'■i  :• 


CHAPTER  X. 


TimOUGTI  THE  YUKOX  FLAT-LANDS. 


nil' 


i'^ 


*   r 


'<i* 


AFTER  passing 
Johnny's  village  in 
descending  the 
stream,  and  more 
I)erceptibly  after 
leaving  Charley's  vil- 
lage, the  country 
opens  rapidly,  and 
another  day's  drift 
of  forty-two  and  a 
half  geographical 
miles  brought  us  to 
what  an  old  trader 
on  the  lower  river  calls  the  "  Yukon  flat-lands,"  an 
expression  so  appropriate  that  I  have  adopted  it, 
although  I  have  never  heard  any  other  authority  for 
its  use. 

AVliile  descending  the  stream  on  the  24th,  late  in  the 
forenoon,  we  saw  a  large  buck  moose  swim  from  one  of 
the  many  islands  to  the  mainland  just  back  of  us,  having 
probably,  as  the  hunter  would  say,  "gotten  our  scent." 
I  never  comprehended  what  immense  noses  these  animals 
have  until  I  got  a  good  profile  view  of  this  big  fellow, 
and  although  over  half  a  mile  away,  his  nose  looked  as 
if  he  had  been  rooting  the  island  and  vras  trying  to  carry 


n  .. 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


:i05 


away  tlie  greater  part  of  it  on  the  end  of  liis  snout.  'I'lie 
great  palniatecl  horns  above,  the  broad  "throat-latch" 
before,  combined  with  the  huge  nose  and  jJow^Mful 
shouklers,  make  one  tliink  that  this  animal  might  tilt 
forward  on  his  head  from  sheer  gravity,  so  litth*  is 
there  apparently  at  the  other  end  to  counlcrbala.ice 
these  masses.  When  the  Russians  were  on  the  lower 
river  these  moose-noses  were  dried  by  them  and  con- 
sidered great  delicacies.  A  few  winters  .igo  the  cold  was 
so  intense,  and  the  snow  covered  the  ground  for  so  great 
a  depth  throughout  the  season,  that  sad  havoc  was 
played  with  the  unfortunate  animals,  and  a  moose  is  now 
a  rare  sight  below  the  upper  ramparts  of  the  river,  as  I 
was  informed  by  the  traders  of  that  district.  It  is  cer- 
tainly to  be  hoped  that  the  destruction  has  only  been 
pfirtial,  so  that  this  noble  game  may  again  flourish  in  its 
home,  where  it  will  be  secure  from  the  inroads  of  lire- 
arms  for  many  decades  to  come.  Xot  kmg  since  the 
little  river  steamer  that  plies  on  this  stream  for  trading 
purposes,  owned  by  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company, 
could  hardly  make  a  voyage  to  old  Fort  Yukon  and 
back  without  encountering  a  few  herds  of  these  animals 
swimming  across  the  stream,  and  exciting  were  the 
bouts  Avith  them,  often  ending  in  a  victory  for  the 
moose  with  the  "  Yukon"  run  aground  on  a  bar  of  sand 
or  gravel ;  but  for  some  years  not  an  animal  has  been 
seen  by  them.  Formerly  the  meat  they  secured  in  this 
way,  with  what  they  procured  from  the  Indians  along 
the  river,  assured  them  of  fresh  food  during  the  month 
or  so  they  were  absent  from  St.  Michael's  ;  but  their 
entire  dependence  for  this  kind  of  fare  has  been  thrown 
upon  the  salmon  furnished  by  the  natives,  which  is 


I 


t; 


866 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  f.'REAT  RlVIUi. 


imicli  more  dilTiciilt  to  keep  fn^sli  dining  tlic^  short  hot 
simiiiicr  ol'  th(i  rivor. 

This  river  wteaiuer,  Ihe  "Yukon,"  wjis  dally  expected 
by  ".lo"  Ljidue,  :ind  upon  it  lie  intended  to  return  to 
Nuklakuyet,  hi.s  winter  .station.  I  also  hoped  to  fall  in 
with  it  during  the  next  week,  as  our  civilized  provisit)ns 
Avere  at  a  very  low  ebb  and  I  wished  to  rc^plenish  them. 
During  a  great  part  of  our  drift  on  the  24th,  Ave  were 
accompanied  by  Jo  and  his  tlii'ee  Indian  allies,  in  their 
scow,  who  said  they  would  keep  us  comi)any  until  we 
m«'t  the  "Yukon"  steamer.  While  we  were  leisurely 
lloating  along,  "Jo"  saw  a  "short  cut"  in  the  river's 
bend,  into  which  we  could  not  row  oiir  ponderous  craft, 
and  down  this  he  quickly  disappeared,  remarking  that  he 
would  pick  out  a  good  camping  place  for  us  for  the  night. 

All  hough  we  were  well  out  of  the  high  mountainous 
country,  we  could  see  the  chain  through  which  we  had 
passed  still  bearing  off  to  the  left,  the  summits  in  many 
places  covered  with  snow,  long  fingers  of  which  extended 
down  such  mountain  gullies  as  had  a  northern  exposure. 
As  we  emerged  from  the  hilly  (!ountry  the  soil,  for  the  first 
time,  seemed  to  be  thick  and  black  wherever  it  was 
exposed  to  our  eye  by  the  caving  in  of  the  banks  ;  and 
grass,  always  good,  now  became  reallj'  luxuriant  for  any 
climate.  In  many  places  we  saw  grass  ready  to  mow,  were 
it  not  for  the  fact  that  even  the  largest  prairies  have  an 
undergrowth  of  stunted  brush  which  one  might  not 
observe  at  a  distance  in  the  high  grass,  but  which  is  very 
perceptible  in  walking  through  it.  The  greatest  obstacle 
to  cattle  raising  in  the  Yukon  valley  would  be  the  dense 
swarms  of  mosquitoes,  although  I  understand  that  a 
couple  of  head  of  cattle  were  kept  at  old  Fort  Yukon  for 


TIIROUUll  THE  YUKON  FLAT  LAX hS. 


2«: 


one  or  two  .summers.  By  biiniiii^  off  nil  tinihor  and 
brush  from  liir<2,o  districts  and  a  litth?  judicious  drainii^o 
it  ]iii<;ht  be  possibh;  to  encourap'  tiiis  industry  witli  tlie 
hardier  breeds  of  cattle,  but  at  present  tiie  case  is  too 
remote  to  speculate  upon. 

I  now  remarked  in  many  places  aloni^  the  flat  river-bot- 
toms— which  had  high  banks,  however — that  the  ground 
was  covered,  especially  in  little  open  piairies,  with  a  tough 
sponge  like  moss  or  peat.  If  the  baidv  was  at  all  gi'avelly, 
so  as  to  give  good  drainage,  and  to  allow  of  the  liver 
excavating  it  gradually,  Jis  is  usual  in  temperate 
climes,  this  thick  moss  was  so  interwoven  and  com- 
pacted that  it  would  not  break  or  separate  in  falling 
with  the  river  banks,  but  remained  attached  to  the  crest, 
forming  great  blankets  of  moss  that  overhung  the  shores 
a  foot  thick,  as  I  have  endeavored  to  represent  on  this 
page,  a.  h.  representing  the  moss.  Some 
of  these  banks  were  from  fifteen  to 
eighteen  feet  in  height,  and  this  over- 
hanging moss  Avould  even 
tlien  reacli  to  the  water, 
keeping  the  shores  neatly 
sodded  to  the  waters  edge  on  the  inclined  banks,  and 
hanging  perpendicularly  from  those  that  projected  over. 
Great  jagged  rents  and  patches  were  torn  out  of  the 
hem  of  this  carpet  by  the  limbs  and  roots  of  drifting 
logs,  thus  destroying  its  picturesque  unifornuty.  I 
suppose  the  reason  why  ±i  was  more  noticeable  in  open 
spaces  was  that  the  trees  and  underbrush,  and  especir  ly 
their  roots,  would,  from  the  eff(M't  of  undermining,  carry 
the  moss  into  the  water  with  their  heavy  weight  as  they 
fell. 


MO.aa  ()M  YIKON  ItlVER. 


' 


l/rtl 


i!  " 


vip;  ! 


I  ;      :  ;     I 


;mi 


•J 


2(J8 


^Z(AV(7  ALA<SfA"JL'.Sf  GREAT  RIVER. 


At  half -past  iive  o'clock  we  sighted  a  steamer  down 
the  river  which  we  tlionght  niiglit  be  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company's  "  Yidvon"  cominc:  \\\>  around  a  low 
island  of  sand,  but  it  proved  to  be  a  beached  )>oat  called 
the  St.  Michael's,  lying  high  and  dry,  about  ten  or  twelve 
feet  above  the  present  water  level,  on  a  long,  low  island 
cf  sand  and  gravel. 

Some  years  before,  a  rival  corporation  to  the  Alaska 
Company,  called,  I  believe.  The  Northern  Trat.ing  Com- 
j)an3^,  tried  to  establish  itself  on  the  Yidvon  River,  (and 
(•Isevvhere  in  Alaska,  but  the  Yukon  district  only  con- 
c(  rns  us  here),  and  trading  houses  were  built  in  many 
places  along  the  stream,  most  of  them  within  a  short 
distance,  perhaps  a  mile  or  two,  of  +liose  established  by 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company.  Fierce  competition 
er<sued,  and  I  was  told  that  the  Indians  got  goods  at 
W'holesale  prices  in  San  Francisco,  /.  e.,  at  [ilmost  infini- 
tesimal prices  compared  with  those  they  were  accas- 
tomed  to  pay.  The  Alaska  Company  was  finally  victori- 
ous, but  found  matters  considerably  changed  when  the 
struggle  was  over.  AVlien  they  attempted  to  restore  the 
prices  of  the  old  rf'gime.,  and  to  ask  immediate  payment 
— for  bo^^i  companies  had  given  the  Indians  unlimited 
credit — such  a  hornet's  nest  was  stirred  up  that  ulti- 
mately the  company  Avas  obliged  to  abandon  nearly  a 
ralf -dozen  posts,  all  above  Nuklakayet,  for  fear  of  the 
Indians,  who  required  a  Krupp  steam-hammer  to  pound 
into  thv-^ir  thick  heads  the  reason  why  a  man  might  sell 
them  a  pound  of  tobacco  for  len  cents  to-day  and  to-mor- 
row charge  them  ten  dollars  an  ounce  ;  especially  when 
they  ha"e  to  pay  for  the  latter  from  the  products  of  the 
trap,  and  the  former  is  put  down  in  the  account  book  in 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


269 


an  accommodating  way.  The  Northern  Trading  Com- 
pany also  put  on  the  Yukon  Kiver  tliis  boat,  tlie  8t. 
Michael's,  a  clumsily-built  stern- wheeler  that  had  win- 
tered at  Belle  Isle,  and  on  going  down  with  the  spring 
freshet  had  struck  this  bar,  then  under  water,  and  as  the 
river  was  falling  she  was  soon  left  high  in  the  air. 

We  camped  for  the  night  on  the  same  bar,  which  I 
called  St.  Michael's  Island,  and  about  an  hour  afterward 
"Jo"  and  his  scow  came  along  and  pulled  uj)  to  camp 
on  the  opposite  snore.  He  explained  his  delay — for  I 
really  thought  he  had  passed  us  and  was  camping  further 
down — by  saying  that  he  and  his  Indians  had  been  hunt- 
ing, and  he  produced  two  or  three  ducks,  in  the  very 
prime  of  their  toughness,  as  corroborative  testimony,  but 
I  surmised  that  the  true  story  was  that  "  all  hands  and 
the  cook  "  had  gone  to  sleep,  whereupon  the  scow  had 
likewise  rested  on  the  soft  bottom  of  some  friendly  sand - 
spit.  The  remainder  of  the  journey  confirmed  this  sus- 
picion. 

Starting  from  Camp  No.  38,  on  St.  Michael's  Island, 
the  river,  as  the  map  shows,  becomes  one  vast  and  wide 
net- work  of  islands,  the  whole  country  being  as  level  as 
the  great  plains  of  the  West,  and  we  were  fairly  launched 
into  the  "  Yukon  fiat-lands."  As  we  entered  this  floor- 
like country  our  Chilkat  Indians  seemed  seriously  to 
think  that  we  lind  arrive^  at  the  river's  moutli  and  were 
now  going  out  to  sea  ;  and  I  can  readily  imagine  that  even 
a  Avhite  person,  having  no  knowledge  of  the  country, 
might  wt^ll  think  so.  There  was  an  almost  irresistible  im- 
pression that  beyond  the  low  fiat  islands  in  front  one 
must  come  in  sight  of  the  ocean. 

As  we  started  out  into  this  broad,  level  tract,  the 


W 


!i>! 


j    it 


vm 


ijji 


\% 


u 


'■'I'M' 


'111 


270 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


'»'i!ii:; 


'I  I  !'  I 


Ml 


mountains  to  the  left,  or  west,  still  continued  in  a  bro- 
ken v'Aw^e.  that  was  thrown  bafck  at  an  anglf  from  the 
river's  general  course,  and  proj^^ted  into  a  sort  of  spur 
formed  of  a  series  of  isolated  peaks,  rising  squarely  out 
of  the  fiat  land,  and  diminishing  in  size  untJ  they  dis- 
ajj'peared  toward  t.lwi  north-wewt  i>iai  a  fetr  sharp-pointed 
hillofks  just  visil)le  over  tlie  high  wprufe  trees  of  the 
islands.  1  called  them  the  Ratzel  range,  or  peaks,  aft'^r 
Professor  Frederick  Ratzel,  of  iSIunich. 

This  Hat  character  of  the  country  continues  for  about 
three  hundred  miles  further,  and  the  river,  iinconlined 
by  resisting  banks,  cuts  niimei'ous  wide  channels  in  the 
soft  alluvial  shores,  dividirix  Jind  subdi\  iding  and  spread- 
ing, until  its  width  is  simply  beyond  jvasonal)le  estima- 
tion. At  Fort  Yukon,  about  a  thousand  ndles  from  the 
mouth,  its  width  has  been  closely  ►•^tirri;jted  at  seven  miles, 
and  at  other  points  above  and  \)i^\<m  jl  is  l)H»eved  to  be 
twice  or  thrice  that  width.  This  breadth  is  measured 
from  the  right  bank  to  the  left  across  shallow  chan- 
nels and  flat  islands,  whose  ratio  to  each  other  is,  on  the 
whole,  tolerably  eqnal.  Some  of  these  islands  are 
merely  Avide  wastes,  consisting  of  low  stretches  of  sand 
and  gravel,  with  desolate-looking  ridges  of  whitened 
drift-timber,  all  of  which  must  be  under  water  in  the 
spring  Hoods,  Avlien  the  river  in  this  region  must  resem- 
ble a  great  inland  sea.  In  no  place  does  this  wide  con- 
geries of  channels  seem  to  abate  its  former  swiftness  a 
single  Jot,  but  the  constant  dividing  and  sid:)dividing 
of;casionally  brought  us  to  lanes  so  narrow  and  shallow 
that  it  seemed  as  though  we  cotdd  not  get  through  with 
our  I'aft.  and  mor(^  than  once  we  feared  we  should  have 
to  abandon  our  old  companion.     For  nearly  three  weeks 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


271 


we  were  drifting  tliroiigh  tliese  terribly  monotonous  flat- 
lands,  never  knowing  at  night  whether  or  not  we  were 
camping  on  the  main  banlv.  and  by  far  the  most  fre- 
quently camping  on  some  island  with  nothing  but  islands 
in  sight  as  far  as  the  eye  could  se(\ 

On  the  2oth  we  got  under  way  quite  early,  and  at  8:30 
A.  M.  passed  an  Indian  encampment  of  four  verj'  tine- 
looking  tents,  situated  on  an  island,  and  here  '',)o" 
Ladue  told  us  he  would  stop  and  await  the  arrival  of  the 
Alaska  Company's  new  steamer.  I  had  suspicions  that 
"Jo"  did  not  like  the  pace  we  kept  up,  or  rather  that 
he  did  not  relish  being  awakened  whenever  his  scow 
sought  the  quiet  of  an  island  shore. 

But  a  few  minutes  afterward  there  was  a  junction  of 
several  channels  of  the  river,  and  we  floated  out  into  the 
lake-like  expanse  ahead  with  a  vague  feeling  that  so 
much  water  could  hardly  possess  any  current,  but  never- 
theless we  sped  along  at  our  old  i)ace.  This  sheet  of 
water  was  wider  than  the  majority  of  the  lakes  at  the 
head  of  the  stream,  and  it  was  hard  not  to  revert  to  them 
in  thought,  and  imagine  ourselves  unable  to  move  with- 
out a  sail  and  a  good  wind  abaft.  Very  soon  an  omin- 
ous line  of  drift  timber  ajipeared  in  our  front,  seeming 
to  stretch  fi'om  shore  to  shore  as  we  approached  it,  and 
the  great  channel  broke  up  into  half  a  dozen  smaller 
ones  that  went  winding  through  sand-spits  and  log- 
locked  debris,  down  one  of  which  we  shot  and  were  just 
breathing  more  freely  Avhen  the  same  occurrence  was 
repeated,  and  we  slipped  down  a  shallow  branch  that 
was  not  over  flfty  yards  in  width,  only  to  bring  up  on  a 
bar  in  the  awift  current,  with  less  than  a  foot  of  water 
ahead  over  the  spit  that  ran  from  the  bar  to  the  shore. 


■V: 


m% 


i    :  ? 

i 

'I 


f 


if"'* 


!1 


I      :i 


I     ,;i 


272 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


Near  tlie  otlier  shore  was  a  channel  so  cl*^ep  that  we 
might  have  tloatea  with  ease,  but  to  reach  it  again  we 
shoukl  have  to  pry  our  vessel  up  stream  against  water  so 
swift  as  almost  to  take  us  off  our  feet.  Through  this 
deep  channel  every  thing  was  carried  on  our  backs  to  the 
shore,  and  then  commenced  a  sLruggle  that  lasted  from 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  well  past  two  in  the 
afternoon ;  our  longest  and  most  trying  delay  on  the 
trip,  and  which  limited  our  day's  travel  to  thirty-six 
miles  in  fourteen  liours'  work.  Half  as  much  would 
Jiave  satisfied  us,  however,  for  I  think  it  was  the  only 
time  on  the  trip  when  we  made  serious  calculations  re- 
garding the  abandonment  of  the  raft  and  the  building  of 
another.  There  were  otlier  occasions  when  such  an  event 
seemed  i)robable,  but  in  some  Avay  we  had  managed  to 
escape  this  necessity. 

Our  camp  that  evening  was  on  a  bank  so  high  and 
solid  that  we  conjectured  it  must  be  the  main  bank  (of 
the  eastern  side).  So  steep  was  it  that  steps  hcd  to  be 
cut  in  it  in  order  to  reach  the  top  with  our  camping  and 
cooking  effects. 

At  this  camp — 39 — and  a  few  of  the  preceding  ones 
we  found  rosebuds  large  and  sweet  enough  to  eat,  and 
really  a  pahitable  change  from  the  salt  and  canned  pro- 
visions of  our  larder.  They  were  very  much  larger  than 
tliose  we  are  accustomed  to  see  in  the  United  St'^t^s 
proper  and  somewhat  elongated  or  pear  shaped  ;  the 
increase  in  size  being  entirely  in  the  fleshy  capsule  which 
was  crisp  and  tender,  while  even  the  seeds  seemed  to  be 
less  dry  and  "  downy,"  or  full  of  "  cotton,"  tlian  those 
of  temperate  climes. 

The  mosquitoes  were  a  little  less  numerous  in  the  flat- 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


273 


lands,  but,  at  lirst,  the  little  black  gnats  seomtMl  to  grow 
even  worse.  Mr.  Homan,  who  was  espec hilly  troubh  d 
by  these  latter  pests,  had  his  hands  so  swollen  by  their 
constant  attacks  that  'le  could  hardlv  draw  his  tinkers 
together  to  grasp  the  pencil  with  which  he  recorded  liis 
topographical  notes.  Dr.  Wilson  and  I  experimented 
with  some  oil  of  pennyroyal  taken  from  the  medicine 
chest,  which  is  extensively  used  as  an  important  ingred- 
ient of  the  mosquito  cures  advertised  in  more  southern 
climes.  It  is  very  volatile  and  evaporates  so  rapidly 
that  it  was  only  efficacious  with  the  pests  of  the  Yukon 
for  two  or  three  minutes,  when  they  would  attack  the 
spot  where  it  had  been  spread  with  their  old  vigor. 
Mixed  with  grease  it  held  its  properties  a  little  longer, 
but  would  never  do  to  depend  upon  in  this  mosquito 
infested  country. 

I  noticed  that  evening  that  banked  or  cumulus  clouds, 
lying  low  along  ihe  horizon  invariably  indicated  mount- 
ains or  hills  stretching  unde?:  them  if  all  the  other  parts 
of  the  sky  were  clear.  At  that  time  we  recognized 
the  Romantzoff  range  by  this  means,  bearing  north- 
west, a  disf'overy  we  easily  verified  the  next  morning 
when  the  air  was  clear  in  every  direction.  At  no  time 
while  we  were  drifting  through  the  flat-lands,  when  the 
weather  and  our  position  were  favorable,  were  hills  or 
mountains  out  of  view,  although  at  times  so  distant  as 
to  resemble  light  l)lue  clouds  on  the  horizon. 

Although  we  were  at  the  most  northern  ■  )art  of  our 
journey  while  in  this  level  tract,  actually  passing  within 
the  Arctic  regions  for  a  short  distance  at  old  Fort  Yukon, 
yet  there  was  no  part  of  the  journey  where  we  suffered 
so  much  from  the  downpouring  heat  of  the  sun,  when- 


inil 


tu 


Ui 


I 


i 


«,;    ! 


iki':; 

I'M 

I J  I;  ' 

■1  ■ 

*«■  :     li 


^fl 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

ever  tlie  weather  was  clear  ;  and  exasperating! y  enough 
our  greatest  share  of  clear  weather  was  while  we  were 
floating  between  the  upi3er  and  lower  ramparts. 

All  day  on  the  2Gth  the  current  seemed  to  set  to  the 
westward,  and  we  left  island  after  island  upon  our  right 
in  spite  of  all  our  efforts,  for  we  wanted  to  keep  the 
extreme  eastern  channels  so  as  to  make  old  Fort  Yukon, 
where  we  Lad  learned  that  an  Indian,  acting  as  a  trader 
for  the  x\laska  Company  might  have  some  flour  to  sell. 
Our  most  strenuous  efforts  in  the  hot  sun  were  rewarded 
by  our  stranding  a  number  of  times  on  the  innumerable 
shoals  in  the  shallow  river,  delaying  us  altogether  nearly 
three  hours,  and  allowing  us  to  make  but  thirty-three 
miles,  our  course  bringing  us  almost  in  proximity  to  the 
western  bank.  I  knew  that  we  must  be  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  old  Fort  Yukon,  at  which  point  I  intended  to 
await  the  river  steamer's  arrival  so  as  to  procure  provis- 
ions, for  I  had  only  two  days'  rations  left ;  but  this  day 
had  been  so  unfavorable  that  I  almost  gave  up  all  hope 
of  making  the  Fort,  expecting  to  drift  by  next  day  far 
out  of  sight  of  it.  About  eleven  o'clock  that  night 
"  Alexy,"  the  half-breed  Russian  interpreter  for  Ladue, 
came  into  our  camp  in  his  canoe,  saying  that  Ladue  had 
gone  on  down  to  Fort  Yukon  that  day,  keeping  the  main 
right-hand  channel  which  we  had  missed,  and  that  we 
were  now  so  far  to  the  west  and  so  near  Fort  Yukon  that 
we  might  pass  it  to-morrow  among  the  islands  without 
seeing  it  unless  we  kept  more  to  the  right.  After  receiv- 
ing this  doleful  information,  which  coincided  so  exactly 
with  our  own  conclusions,  we  went  to  sleep,  and 
"  Alpxy  "  paddled  aAvay  down  stream,  keeping  a  strong 
course  to  the  east,  but  it  would  have  required  Great  East- 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


275 


ern's  engines  on  board  of  our  cumbersome  raft  in  order 
for  us  to  make  it. 

From  the  moment  of  our  casting  loose  the  raft,  on  the 
morning  of  tlie  27th,  we  commenced  our  struggle  with  the 
current  to  gain  ground,  or  rather,  water,  to  the  eastward, 
often  with  double  and  treble  complements  of  men  at  both 
oars.  Point  after  point  we  successfully  essayed,  working 
like  pirates  after  their  prey  ;  and  fully  a  half  dozen  of 
these,  I  believe,  were  so  closely  passed  across  their  upper 
ends  that  a  score  less  of  strokes  would  have  allowed  us  to 
float  down  the  western  channel.  Almost  at  the  last  min- 
ute we  got  such  a  straight  away  course  to  the  right  bank 
that  looking  backward  it  seemed  as  if  v*e  had  ferried  our 
way  directly  across  the  river,  and  as  we  rounded  the  last 
island  Fort  Yukon's  old  dilapidated  buildings  burst  into 
view,  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  too,  for  that  particular 
island  extended  well  below  the  site  of  the  old  fort,  and 
we  passed  around  it  hardly  a  good  hop,  sliip  and  a  jump 
from  its  upper  point.  We  could  not  suppress  a  cheer 
as  the  hard-earned  victory  was  won,  for  to  verify  the  old 
adage  that  "it  never  rains  but  it  pours  "  good  luck,  there 
at  the  bank  was  the  river  steamer  "  Yukon"  and  from  her 
decks  came  a  rattling  volley  of  shots  to  welcome  us  and 
to  which  we  replied  almost  gun  for  gun.  A  little  more 
hard  pulling  and  we  landed  the  raft  just  above  the  build- 
ings and  about  three  or  four  hundred  yards  above  the 
steamer,  which  we  at  once  prepared  to  visit.  The  "Yu- 
kon" is  quite  a  small  affair  compared  with  the  river  boats 
of  the  United  States,  but  quite  well  built  and  well  mod- 
eled. They  spoke  of  it  as  a  ten-ton  boat,  although  I 
took  it  to  be  one  of  double  or  treble  that  capacity,  its 
machinery  being  powerful  enough  to  drive  a  vessel  of 


ill 

11' 


■:  '.  \y 


l"i-'; 


\i\\ 


li:i 


m 


iii 


i 


:!) 


I      •: 


276 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


five  or  six  times  tliat  tonnage  against  any  ordinary  cur- 
rent, but  very  necessary  for  a  boat  of  even  the  smallest 
size  on  sucOi  a  swift  stream  as  tlie  Yukon.  The  machin- 
ery took  111)  the  greater  portion  of  her  interior  and  were  it 
not  for  the  upper  decks,  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 


THE   STEAMER    "  YUKON,"    (l^    A    HERD    OP   MOOSE). 

(A  scene  in  the  Yukon  Flat-lands.) 

find  room  for  her  large  crew.  The  moment  I  caught 
sight  of  the  crew  they  seemed  so  like  old  acquaintances 
that  I  was  on  the  j^oint  of  probing  my  memory  for  the 
circumstances  of  our  foi-mer  meeting,  when  a  second 
thought  convinced  me  that  it  was  only  my  familiarity 
with  tlie  Eskimo  face  that  had  produced  the  effect  of  a 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


271 


recognition.  These  Eskimos  liad  been  liirod  on  tlic  Lower 
Yukon,  and  but  for  their  being  a  litth;  more  stolid  and 
homely  than  those  oC  nortli  Hudson's  ]')ay,  1  should 
have  thought  myself  back  among  the  tribes  of  t  hat  region. 
They  malce  better  and  more  tractable  workmen  than  any 
of  the  Indians  along  the  river,  and  in  many  other  ways  are 
superior  to  the  latter  for  the  white  men's  puri)oses,  being 
more  honest,  ingenious  and  clever  in  the  use  of  tools, 
while  treachery  is  an  unknown  element  in  their  character. 
The  master  of  the  "Yukon"  was  Captain  Petersen,  and 
the  Alaska  Company's  trader  was  jMr.  jSIcQuestion,  both 
of  whom  had  been  for  many  years  in.  the  employ  of  that 
company  on  the  river.  Fiom  the  former  I  ascertained 
through  information  which  he  volunteered,  that  he  had 
a  large  ten  or  twelve  ton  river  schooner  at  the  trading 
station  of  Nuklakayet,  some  three  hundred  miles 
further  down  the  river  to  which  I  wns  welcome  avIicu  I 
reached  that  point  with  the  raft.  After  the  "  Yukon  " 
had  ascended  the  river  as  far  as  Belle  Isle,  he  would 
return  and  would  pick  us  up  wherever  found  and  tow  the 
schooner  or  harka  as  it  was  called  in  the  local  language 
of  the  country,  a  sort  of  hybrid  Russian  vernacular. 
From  long  experience  on  the  river.  Captain  Petersen 
estimated  its  current  at  about  five  miles  an  hour  above 
old  Fort  Yukon  for  the  short  distance  which  he  had  as- 
cended with  the  steamer ;  but  probably  four  from  tlun-e  to 
Nuklakayet ;  three  and  a  half  to  Nulato  ;  and  thi-ee  be- 
low that  until  the  influence  of  the  low  tides  from  Pei-ing's 
Sea  is  felt.  Of  course  this  rate  of  speed  varies  somewhat 
with  the  season,  but  is  the  average  during  the  period  of 
navigation  in  July  and  August.  He  expected  to  over- 
take me  about  the  15th  of  August  somewhere  near  Nul- 


I 


Hi 


Il 


■f 


i,i 


i:  ,M  V 


[Wf 


Kij,    jilhS 


i' 

i 

1 

1 

ml        ■  '  :.:         • 

k 

lfl!|:n 

5! 


tr 


II 


278 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVER. 


ato,  as  lic!  luid  orders  to  pull  the  St.  Michaer.s  off  the 
gruvel  l)tir  where  she  was  lying,  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  having  bought  out  all  the  effects  of  the  rival 
concern  after  the  latter  hail  expended  between  half  a 
million  and  a  million  of  dollars  without  any  reasonable 
remuneration  for  the  outlay.  This  the  captain  thought 
would  detain  him  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  if  I  could  get 
as  far  as  A'ulato,  or  Anvik,  it  would  save  him  towing  the 
"barka"  that  far  on  its  Avay  to  St.  Michael's  or  '*  the 
redoubt,"  as  they  all  call  it  on  the  river.  Thus  we 
should  be  doing  each  other  a  mutual  favor.  The 
"barka,"  however,  had  none  of  its  sails,  except  a  Jib, 
and  this  circumstance,  coupled  with  the  head  winds  that 
we  should  Ije  sure  to  encounter  on  the  lower  river  at  this 
season,  reduced  us  to  find  our  motive  power  still  in  the 
current.  Provisions  were  purchased  in  sufficient  quantity 
to  last  as  far  as  Nuklakayet,  where  we  could  select  from 
a  much  more  varied  stock. 

Our  dead  reckoning,  as  checked  by  the  astronomical 
observations,  showed  the  distance  from  the  site  of  old 
Fort  Selkirk  to  Fort  Yukon  to  be  four  hundred  and 
ninety  miles,  and  two-tenths,  (490.2) ;  and  the  entire  dis- 
tance of  the  latter  place  fi-om  Crater  Lake,  at  the  head 
of  the  river,  nine  hundred  and  eighty-nine  (980)  miles  ; 
the  raft  journey  having  been  twelve  miles  less.  In  run- 
ning from  Pyramid  (Island)  Harbor  of  Chilkat  Inlet,  the 
last  point  we  had  left  which  had  been  determined  by  as- 
tronomical instruments  of  precision,  to  Fort  Yukon,  the 
next  such  point,  a  distance  of  over  a  thousand  miles, 
Mr.  Iloman's  dead  reckoning,  unchecked  the  whole  dis- 
tance, was  in  error  less  than  ten  miles  ;  and  from  Fort 
Selkirk,  determined  by  sextant  and  chronometer — the 


»\    •!':  ,i 


THRoUail  THE  YUKON  FLAT  LAXDS. 


Ji7!) 


latter  regiiliitcd  b('t\v<'t'n  tlu' above  two  phiccs — to  Fort 
Yukon,  the  error  was  less  than  six  miles.  At  tiiis  i)oint 
we  connected  our  surveys  wit ii  the  excellent  one  j;iven 
to  the  lower  river  by  Captain  Hayniond  in  ISOl) ;  :iltlioiii;li 
we  continued  our  own  as  I'ar  as  the  Aphoon,  or  northern, 
mouth  of  the  Yukon  River. 

When  Russian  America  became  Alnskn,  or  to  be  pre- 
cise, in  18(57,  that  date  found  th(!  Russians  established  as 
traders  only  on  the  lower  river  a  considerable  distance 
below  the  Hatdands,  while  in  1848  the  Hudson  15ay  Com- 
pany had  established  Fort  Yukon  within  their  territory, 
a  port  which  they  were  still  maintaiinng.  Upon  our  iic- 
cession,  it  was  determined  to  fix  the  position  of  Fort 
Yukon  astronomically,  and  if  it  should  i)rove  to  be  on 
Alaskan  soil— west  of  the  141st  meridian — the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  euiployes  would  be  notified  to  vacat«^  the 
premises.  This  was  done  by  Captain  Raymond  in  18(5!). 
In  the  course  of  this  occupati(m  a  good  map  of  the 
Y^'ulvon  River  was  made  from  its  mouth  to  Fort  Yukon, 
which  was  published  by  the  AVar  Department,  accom- 
panied by  a  rei)ort.  With  this  it  may  be  said  that  the 
results  of  the  expedition  ceased,  as  that  department  of 
the  government  does  not  publish  and  sell  maps  made  un- 
der its  direction,  and  they  therefore  are  practically  de- 
prived of  circulation.  When  I  asked  Captain  Petersen 
if  he  used  maps  in  navigating  the  river,  he  said  that  he 
seldom  did,  as  there  were  no  good  ones  in  existence  for 
the  permanent  channels  of  the  river,  while  the  temporary 
channels  w^ere  so  variable  that  his  old  maps  were  of  lit- 
tle service.  He  had  never  heard  of  the  Raymond  map 
being  published,  and  on  being  shown  one,  seemed  aston- 
ished that  so  good  a  map  was  in  existence,  and  asked  me 


"54 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Scioices 
Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  «72-4S03 


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280 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


to  send  him  a  copy,  wliich  I  was  unable  to  do,  as  I  could 
not  procure  one  at  the  proper  dejiartment  in  Washing- 
ton. The  maps  he  had  were  those  made  by  the  Russians 
when  they  were  in  possession  of  the  country,  which  are 
still  the  best  of  sucli  as  can  be  jn'ocured. 

The  Indians  in  and  around  old  Fort  Yukon  are  known 
to  the  traders  as  the  Fort  Yukon  Indians,  which  is  prob- 
ably as  good  a  name  as  any,  as  they  are  not  entitled  to 
be  regarded  as  a  distinct  tribe  (or  even  as  part  of  one),  in 
the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  word.  The  country  of 
the  tlatlands  is  not  well  stocked  with  game  of  the  kind 
that  would  support  any  great  number  of  Indians  at  all 
seasons,  and  as  the  river  spreads  over  so  wide  an  extent, 
the  chances  of  catching  lish  are  proportionately  de- 
creased, and  altogether  the  liat-lands  would  be  rejected 
by  the  natives  for  other  locations.  I  was  told  by  those 
who  ought  to  know,  and  whose  assertions  seem  to  be 
borne  out  by  other  evidence,  that  there  were  no  Indians 
who  made  this  country  their  home  until  Fort  Yukon  was 
established  in  1848,  an  event  which  attracted  the  usual 
number  of  Indians  around  the  post  who  are  always  seen 
about  a  frontier  trading  station,  many  of  whom  made  it 
their  home.  They  came  up  the  river,  down  the  main 
stream,  and  down  the  great  tributary,  the  Rat  or  Porcu- 
pine River  which  empties  itself  near  the  fort,  so  that 
the  settlement  was  recruited  by  stragglers  from  several 
tribes,  and  it  was  for  this  reason  that  I  sj)oke  of  them  as 
not  being  a  distinct  tribe.  The  Indian  who  assumed  the 
role  of  chief,  Senati,  as  he  is  called  by  the  white  peo- 
ple, a  savage  of  more  than  ordinary  authority  and  deter- 
mination, came  from  the  low(  :•  ramparts  where  there  ex- 
ists a  village  bearing  his  name,  which  he  still  visits. 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLAT-LANDS. 


281 


Since  the  abandonment  of  the  post  by  the  Ahiska  Com- 
pany, liis  force  of  character  has  (h)ne  much  to  liohl  to- 
gether the  handful  of  natives  that  still  cling  to  the  old 
si)ot ;  but  with  his  death  and  the  desertion  of  the  i)lace 
by  white  traders  this  part  of  the  river  will  soon  retuiii 
to  its  former  wildness.  When  the  Hudson  ]5jiy  Com- 
pany came  upon  the  river  at  the  point  wliei-e  they  built 
this  fort,  they  felt  safe  from  the  encroachments  of  the 
Russians,  although  trespassing  ujwn  Russian  soil,  as  the 
Yukon  was  supposed  to  How  north wai'd,  and,  like  the 
Mackenzie,  to  pour  its  waters  into  the  i>olar  sea.  Old 
maps  may  still  be  found  bearing  out  this  idea,*  the  Col- 
ville  being  pressed  into  service  as  the  c(mjectural  continu- 
ation of  tlie  Yukon  into  the  Arctic  porticm  of  Altiska. 

The 27th  and  28th  were  occui)ied  in  taking  (observations 
to  rate  and  correct  the  chronometer,  much  of  the  first 
day  being  spent  in  company  with  the  officers  of  the  boat, 
who  recounL<^d  their  interesting  adventures  on  the  river 
and  its  adjacent  regions,  in  which  their  lives  had  been 
spent,  I  recall  an  episode  of  Mr.  McQuestion's  early 
life  which  so  well  illustrates  the  extraordinary  vigor  of 
the  myoffenrs  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Comi)any  in  the 
British  north-west  territory  that  I  shall  briefly  rep(Mit  it. 
His  boyhood  was  spent  in  the  northern  peninsula  of 
Michigan  and  the  states  and  territoi-ies  to  the  westward, 
until  finally  he  found  himself  at  old  Fort  Gany,  then  an 
important  post  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  Here  he 
was    brought  into  constant   contact  with   the  restless 


*  As  late  as  1883,  a  fine  globe  beariiipf  that  date,  costiiifj  some 
hundreds  of  dollars,  was  received  by  the  American  Geographical 
Society  fi-om  a  London  firm,  which  still  bears  this  error,  corrected 
over  twenty  years  ago. 


\  i^^- 


I 


;!f 


282 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


rof/ar/eurs,  and  from  them  he  imbibed  mucli  of  tlieir 
uilventiirous  spirit,  and  was  Imbued  with  a  h)nging  to 
visit  the  far  nortli  land  of  which  they  spoke,  lie  heard 
of  Athabasca  as  other  lads  mi^ht  liear  of  California  and 
Mexico  and  Pei'ti.  while  the  Mackenzie  and  Yukon 
resembled  to  his  imagination  some  fabled  El  Dorado  or 
Aladdin's  dream,  lie  longed  to  see  these  lands  for 
himself,  but  he  knew  the  hard  work  the  ro//((f/('(n\s  were 
compelled  to  endure.  lie  had  seen  the  bundles  and  bags 
and  boxes  of  a  hundred  pounds  that  they  were  to  carry 
on  their  backs  around  rapids  too  swift  to  pole  or  ''track," 
and  over  the  many  portagf^s  and  exchanges  on  their  long 
joui'neys.  He  knew  he  was  not  equal  to  the  work 
re(piired,  but  with  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  he  deter- 
mined to  make  himself  ecpial  to  it  by  a  course  of  physical 
training,  and  after  several  months  presented  himself  to 
an  agent  of  the  company  as  a  full-fledged  voyaf/enr.  To 
his  delight  he  was  accepted  and  entered  on  tlieir  books 
at  a  monthly  salary,  that  probably  being  the  least  im- 
portant part  to  him  at  the  time.  The  first  party  which 
started  northward  in  the  spring  included  young 
McQuestion  in  its  number,  the  most  enthusiastic  of  all. 
Days  wore  on  and  much  of  his  enthusiasm  was  repressed 
by  the  hard  exi)eriences  of  the  journey,  but  it  was  by  no 
means  destroyed.  In  a  few  days  the  other  Toyageurs 
began  talking  of  the  great  portage,  where  every  thing, 
canoes  included,  had  to  be  carried  on  their  backs  around 
the  swift  rapids,  and  wishing  that  their  task,  the  hardest 
they  had  to  encounter  in  the  northern  regions,  was  well 
over.  McQuestion  rather  regarded  it  in  the  light  of 
variety,  as  a  break  from  the  monotony  of  weary  paddling 
over  still  and  "  tracking  "  throjigh  swift  water.     At  last 


r.  H 


THiinraii  rm:  vrroN  flat laxds. 


2S3 


the  lo\V'?r  end  of  the  great  l)<)l•ta,sx<'^viisl•«'a('h(Ml  at  a  small 
eascade,    and  as  the   u^reat  canoe  in  which   llic   voiiiil^ 
vof/(((/ei/r  was  paddlini;  was  nearly  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  line,    he  conld  i)lainly  see   the   indications  ahead. 
The  canoes  came  up  and  landed  at  the  little  rocky  led,<;-e, 
their  one  hundred  pound  hundh's  were  thrown  out  on  the 
bank,  hi<^h  and  dry,  and  the  canoe  itself  was  drai^ired 
from  the  water  to  make  room  for  the  next.     MeQuestion 
saw  the  chief  of  the  canoe  throw  a  l)undle  on  the  lirst 
comer's  back,  and  expected  to  see  him  start  olf  over  the 
trail  to  the  upp<'r  end  of  the  i)orta,i;(N  said  to  be  ten  or 
twelve  miles  across,  and  runnin-;-  through  a  tanulewood 
with  all  kinds  of  obstructions  o'.'curring  the  whole  way. 
As  the  man  did  not  start  olf,    however,    McQuestion 
watched  eagerly  for  the  reason,  and  was  af  tonislied  to 
see  the  chief  put  a  second  bundle  of  a  hundred  pounds 
upon  the  other  for  the  packer  to  carry,  a  load  under 
which  he  expected  to  see  the  poor  fellow  staggei*  or  fall. 
lie  did  not  fall,  however,  nor  even  stagger,  but  wheeled 
in  his  trac!;s  and  started  off  at  a  good  sharp  run,  and 
disappeared  over  the  hill.     In  a  few  minutes  he;  reap- 
peared on  the  crest  of  another  hill,  still  maintaining  his 
rapid  gait,  and  with  half  a  dozen  others  following  him 
on  the  trail,  with  each  carrying  the  same  weight,  and 
proceeding  at  the  same  gait.     Ilis  heart  sank  within  him, 
and  as  he  climbed  the  ledge  of  rock  he  felt  almost  like  a, 
criminal  on  the  way  to  execution.     lie  i-eceived  his  two 
bundles,  started  off,  and  managed  to  keep  up  his  gait 
over  the  crest  of  the  nearest  hill,  when  'e  f«>ll,  spread 
out  at  full  length  over  the  first  log  he  attempted  to  cross. 
He  returned  to  the  factor  in  charge  of  the  expedition, 
and  a  compromise  was  made  by  which  he  paid  to  that 


1 


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ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


fiuu'tionary  tho  amount  per  inoiitli  lio  was  to  have 
re(!(!iv(3(l  in  onUn*  to  ucconipany  llu'  party  as  a  passon^rr. 
At  oiu*  of  the  nortlKTU  posts  he  ohtaincd  a  situation 
nioi'c  to  his  likinij;,  and  thus  drifted  into  the  coniiJany's 
(Muph)y,  iinally  crossing  over  to  tiie  Yukon  Hivcr,  and 
tiansferrini:;  ids  alleiiiancc?  to  the  Alaslva  Coinitany  wlien 
it  succeefled  ids  old  masters. 

On  the  forenoon  of  the  ^oth,  th<'  Yukon  continued  her 
voyap'  up  tlie  stream,  liavin^  ar('om])lislied  all  tlu^ 
summer  trading-  with  tiie  Fort  Yukcm  Indians  the  day 
previous.  1  was  i)re.sent  at  an  afternoon  i»arley  with 
them,  and  was  ^j^reatly  imi)ressed  at  tlu^  i)atien('e  exliib- 
ited  and  reipiired  by  traders  among  these  savages  ;  a 
])atien('e  such  as  not  one  shopman  in  a  thousand  i)os- 
sesses,  accoiding  to  my  ex])erien('e,  however  great  a 
hagghn'  lie  may  be.  ^fcQuestion  liad  learned  the  art  of 
patience  from  his  old  emjtloyers,  j^'obably  the  most 
successful  bargainers  with  savages  the  world  lias  ever 
seen.  Indian  No.  1  put  in  an  apjjcarance  Avith  a  nnser- 
able  lot  of  furs,  and  a  more  nuseiable  story  of  poverty, 
the  badness  of  the  winter  for  ti'api)ing,  the  scarcity  of 
animals  and  the  inftM'iority  of  the  i)elts,  his  large  fannly 
in  need  of  support,  his  honesty  with  the  comj^any  in 
the  i^ast,  and  a  score  of  other  ])leas,  the  u]>shot  of  which 
was  a  request  that  he  might  be  sui)plied  with  clothing 
and  ammunition  for  another  year  in  return  for  the  pelts 
at  his  feet.  The  trader  rei)lies,  setting  a  definite  price 
in  trading  material  for  the  amount  of  skins  before  him, 
and  the  "dickering"  begins.  After  half  an  hour  or  an 
hour's  talk  of  the  most  tiresome  description,  the  dis- 
cussion ends  in  the  Indian  accepting  the  exact  amount 
the  trader  originally  offered,  or  about  one-tenth  of  his 


THROUGH  THE  YUKON  FLATLAXDS. 


285 


own  (U'liiaiids.  Indism  No.  2,  wlio  lias  licard  t'v«'ry  word 
of  tho  ronvcrsatioii,  tlu'ii  coiiu's  forward  with  111*'  saiim 
quality  of  furs  and  exactly  the  sairu'  story,  the  trade 
laslin<j;  exactly  the  same  time,  and  with  exactly  the  same 
result;  and  so  on  with  all  the  others  in  turn.  Kven 
No,  1*2,  of  the  dozen  i)r(?sent,  does  not  vary  t'.ie  stereo- 
typed proceedings  any  more  than  an  actor's  interitreta- 
tion  of  apart  varies  on  the  twelfth  niuht  of  the  piece. 
Then  Indian  No.  1  comes  forward  again  with  a  package 
of  furs  of  abetter  (piality  than  the  lirst  he  displayed, 
and  solennily  aflirms  that  these  are  the  only  ones  he  has 
left,  and  that  if  tiie  trader  will  not  give  him  enough 
clothing  for  himself  and  family,  and  enough  ammunition 
to  last  through  the  winter  in  return  for  them,  they  must 
all  go  naked  and  perhaps  starve  for  want  of  the  means 
of  procuring  food.  This  story,  with  its  continuation, 
hists  about  half  as  long  as  the  first,  bnt  ends  in  the  same 
way,  as  the  Indian's  eloquence  has  about  as  much  effect 
on  the  trader  as  it  woidd  on  the  proverbial  row  of  stumps. 
The  farce  is  repeated  by  all  the  Indians  in  turn,  and  is 
yet  again  repeated  at  least  once  before  the  entirt;  trans- 
action is  over,  during  all  of  which  time  the  white  trader 
sits  composedly  on  his  stool,  and  gives  a  patient  and 
unvarying  answer  to  each  in  his  turn,  nnder  provocation 
that  would  have  X)ut  Job  in  a  frenzy  Ijefore  the  first 
circle  was  completed. 

On  the  29th  of  July  we  took  an  early  departure,  and 
about  noon  passed  an  Indian  village  of  five  or  six  tents 
and  ten  or  a  dozen  canoes,  which  might  have  appeared 
nninhabited  but  for  the  dogs  that  surrounded  the  tents, 
nearly  a  score  to  every  one,  proving  that  their  owners 
were  either  asleep  or  only  temporarily  absent.    The  dogs 


M 


>  I 


i,  ■■.[ 


II 


1^^^; 


M 


1 
'fill    ■: 

■i  :'    1 

i  ivf  M  ^ 

i>s(; 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  (iliKAT  RIVER. 


Ilockod  down  the  l)(':icli  and  uj)  tlu»  bank,  and  oniilt<'d 
xncli  a  ('horns  of  nnoarllilv  howls  that  w(f  were  uvatel'ul 
to  tin*  cnirrnt  for  huiryin^^  us  away.  That  day  wci 
di'lfted  {")(>..")  (<j^«'Oi2iai>hi('aI)  niih's  in  a  trillc  ovrr  Ihiilrcn 
lionrs,  sliowin.u;  bnt  lifth^  diniinniion  in  the  river's  rat<^ 
of  speed.  It  was  an  exceed  in  <;ly  hot  blisterini;  (hiy  on 
thh  river,  almost  unbearable,  and  tlie  lieat,  ('()Mpled  witli 
the  ('h)n<lsof  nios(iuitoes,  iin])elied  tlie  (hx'tor  to  remark 
tiiat  it  was  clear  to  the  casual  observer  tliat  we  were  in 
the  An^tii!  regions.  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  evenin<i:, 
the  tluM'mometer  marking  80°  Fahrenheit  in  the  shade, 
we  saw  "sun-do^s,"  or  parhelia,  very  plainly  maiked 
on  either  sid(^  of  the  western  sun,  a  phenomenon  1  had 
so  often  observed  in  the  Arctic  winter  and  in  Arctic 
Aveather  elsewhere,  as  to  seem  incongruous  during  such 
tropical  lieat.  A  heavy  rain  shower  came  up  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night  and  continued  at  intervals  until  late  the 
next  morning. 

"  It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no  one  anj^good,"  and  if 
the  gnats  and  mos(piitoes  did  keep  us  awake  all  night 
they  allowed  us  to  start  two  hours  earlier  than  usual,  and 
in  spite  of  a  gale  in  the  afternoon  that  niach?  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  steer  well  and  to  keep  off  the  lee  banks,  we 
camped  reasonably  early  and  had  forty-four  miles  to  our 
credit  in  addition.  This  wind  was  very  cold  and  disa- 
greeable, with  heavy  black  clou.ds  overhead  ;  a  most 
decided  «*hange  in  the  weather  since  the  day  before,  but 
for  the  better,  as  the  strong  wind  kept  down  the  mos- 
quitoes and  gave  us  all  a  good  night's  rest. 

The  31st  was  uneventful,  and  in  fact  it  was  only  in  the 
casual  incidents  of  our  voyage  that  we  found  any  thing 
to  interest  us  while  floating  through  this  region,  a  Hat 


ruRorau  riir:  vckox  flat l.wds. 


2S7 


desert  clot  In  •(  I  with  spruce  frees,  mH  ol'a  iiiiiroiiii  size.  mikI 

inoliotolioiis  ill  the  extreiiic.  W'r  scored  roll  yli\  r  uro- 
,irr;ii»iiic:il  iiiih-s  ;iiid  retired  ;it  iiiiiht  in  :i  r;iiii  shourr. 
whieli  coiitimied  with  siieh  im:il);ite(l  I'liry  iH'xt  iliiy  that 
we  ifiiiaiiied  ill  cMiiip.  A  stroll  t  hat  evcniiiLi-  disclosed 
the  distal  extremity  of  a  mastodon's  femiiron  the  travel 
beach  near  cam)),  Mr.  Iloinaii  lindiiiu'  a  tooth  of  the 
same  animal  near  bw  l''or  maiiv  vears  the  scattered 
boiH's  of  this  extiiK't  animal  lia\e  been  round  aloiiuthe 
Yukon,  showin<;'  that  this  reiiioii  was  once  its  home. 
When  at  Fort  Yukon  an  Indian  broii,ulit  the  tooth  ol"  a 
mastodon  to  a  member  of  my  i>arly,  and  recei\in;;'  some- 
thing for  it,  prctbably  more  than  he  exjieeted,  told  the 
white  man  that  the  entire  skeleton  was  i)idtrndin,t;'  from 
the  banks  (d'  one  of  the  islands,  about  a  day's  journey  up 
the  river.  Our  limited  time  and  transportation  forbade 
invest iu'atinu' it  further.  In  a  few  years,  I  suppose,  the 
bank  will  be  <'xcavated  by  the  iindermininu'  ri\er.  and 
the  bones  swept  away  and  scattered  over  many  bars  and 
be:. dies,  for  it  is  in  such  i)lacesthat  the;;"reatest  numbers 
an^  found,  while  a  complete  skeleton  ///  siO/  is  a  rarity. 
In  spite  of  slitiht  showers  and  a  general  "bad  out- 
look, "  we  started  early  next  morninu',  and  were  very 
soon  driven  into  a  slouuh  on  the  hd't  (southern)  bank  In- 
II  stroiiii,-  north-west  wind.  Throuuh  this  spot  the  cur- 
rent was  s(>  stannant  that  W(^  were  over  two  houi's  in 
niakini;' a  little  less +han  two  miles.  At  one  time  the 
head  wind  threatened  to  briny  us  conipletelv  to  a  stand- 
still,  so  sliuht  was  our  motive  i)ower.  Mor  was  this  our 
onlye])isode  of  the  same  character.  Several  times  the 
exasperatiui;'  wind  played  us  this  trick,  and  when  we 
camped  for  the  night   after  twelve  hours  spent  on  the 


'ill 


•1.?  ;8 


iiir 


2HH 


ALOSa  ALASKA'S  (HihAT  lU\'i:ii. 


wsitJT,  wi'  could  only  i«M'kon  twj'iity-six  milfs  to  our 
rredit.  TluMn'cnt  thoroughly  ♦'stJil>lish<'(l  lh«' fiu't  that 
the  central  fhiinurls  of  tho  many  which  pciictrutc  this 
Hat  district  contain  th(( swiftest  (Mirrcnts,  whih'  ah»ii^  the 
main  banks  there  ai'(^  numerous  water-ways  oi»«'n  at  both 
ends  with  almost  sta^niant  water  in  them.  About  three 
in  the  afternoon  wo  pass«»d  a  doubh;  lo^'  house  on  f\u\ 
ri^ht  bank  with  two  or  thr<'»<  small  lo^  (•arln s  mounted 
hi^h  in  the  air  on  tin;  corner  i)osts,  and  two  graves,  all 
of  which  seemed  new  in  construction,  althou<j:h  the  place 
was  (Uitirely  disserted.  Indian  si<,nis  of  all  kinds  now 
began  to  appear  as  w(;  approached  the  lower  ramparts, 
altliough  no  Indians  were  seen.  I?y  noon  the  blue  hills 
ol  the  ramparts  were  seen  to  our  left,  and  by  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  we  could  make  out  individual  trees 
upon  them,  and  atbalf-jjust  seven  o'clock  we  camped  on 
the  last  island  in  the  great  group  of  from  two  to  ten 
thousand  through  whi(!h  we  had  been  threading  our  way 
so  long,  with  the  ui)])er  gates  of  the  lower  ramparts  in 
full  sight,  about  a  mile  or  two  distant. 


CIlAPTKi:    XI. 

Tiiijorcii   riii;  lo\vi:ii  iiami'miis,  axi>  thi;  knd  of  thk 

UAir  .lori.'.NKv. 


MIJ  Yw<'ll  (IcIiiK'd  in(l«'('(l 
Jii'f  tlic  iijipt'i'  ^atcs  «>f 
the  lower i'aiii|);irts,  and 
one  ciitrrs  tli«'in  from 
al)o\t'  with  a  siKlclrU' 
iK'ss     thai     rt'callfs     his 


id 


f 


clilidlsii  Ideas  ol  iiiollli- 
taiii  i'aii^i'cs  taken  I'loiu 
j  M  veil  i  1  e  ^•eo,ui'ai)liy- 
hooks,  \vh«M'e  th«'y  ai'c; 
represented  as  a  closely 
connected  seiies  of  tre- 
niendonsly  steep  ])eaks,  with  no  ontlyin^' hills  connect- 
in^];  them  with  the  levcd  valleys  by  <jfently  I'ollin*;-  sl()i)es, 
as  nature  has  fortunately  chosen  to  do  ;  this  ai)i)i-oach 
to  the  lo\v(>r  lampiiits  heinii;  one  of  the  few  exce])tions. 
The  lower  t<'rnunation  is  not  hy  any  means  so  well  mai'ked 
as  after  the  i-apids  at  Senati's  villai^e  are  passed;  there 
is  a  <;radual  lowering;  of  the  ran,i;e,  broken  l)y  many  ab- 
rui)t  as  well  as.uradual  rises  until  tlKMlelta  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  is  reached,  far  bejond  the  j)oint  at  wliich 
any  traveler  has  placed  their  western  limit.  T  think  I 
auree  pretty  well  with  others  in  placing  it  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Tanana  or  Nuklakavet  tradinur  station. 


I 


ill 
'I 

.1 


d 


\f 


1 
■M 


>!      :ii  I 


^i  i 

it       ■■  ■     , , 

'.".»(» 


ALOSd  M..\SK.VS  (IRIIAT  RlVini. 


This  \v«nil(|  uivct'h'  lower  niinitarts  ;i  Ifii^Mli  of  Jihoiit 
o!H'  Ilimdicd  lllilrs  ;iloi|n'  t||«>  liver,  r»r  jihoiit  one  romtli 
tilt'  It'iixtli  of  til)'  iiitperriinipiirts. 

()>i  Aiiuiisl  :{(l  we  sfjirted  lit  l.W)  A.  M..  :iii(l  liiilf  ;in 
hour  Jlfleiwji '(l  oill'  liejirls  were  gladdened  by  le-eiiter- 
iii^tli*'  hilly  coiiMtry,  for  the  Hat  and  iiioiiotoiious  dis- 
tricts tliroiin'h  uliich  we  had  been  drirtinu'  for  many 
days  induced  a  peculiar  depression  dillicnlt  to  describe  as 
\vellast(»  siill'er.  Oiireiiirv  was  siuiialed  bv  thekilllnii: 
of  three  yoiino- but  almost  riill-iirown  <iray  ^eese  out  of 
Ji  small  tlock  which  ue  suipiised  as  we  floated  around  ii 
point  of  laiHl  near  the  northern  bank.  This  incident 
ushered  in  a  hunting-  seas(»n  when  our  shot-uims  miulit 
have  done  ^rt^at  service  but  for  our  unfavorable  condi- 
tion for  hunting',  i)lanted  as  we  were  upon  a  raft  in  tlie 
middle  of  a  bioad  fiver. 

We  had  supposed  that  when  we  entci-ed  the  ranparts 
and  the  widely-st-attered  waters  of  the  rivei- weie  united 
into  a  single  channel,  our  speed  would  surely  increase; 
in  fact,  we  had  been  t(>ld  as  much  bv  tlie  steamboat  men. 
On  tlie  contrary,  tlie  current  was  distinctly  slower  than 
that  of  any  main  channel  of  the  stream  tlirongh  which 
Av»'  had  drifted  since  h*:ivini;-  the  liead  of  the  river,  and 
after  floatinii'  for  thirteen  hours  we  coidd  only  reckon 
thirty-six  geographical  miles  to  our  credit,  the  poorest 
record  we  had  nunU'  except  on  <Iays  when  we  had 
strandeil  upon  a  river  bar  or  had  been  forced  down  a 
sitle  channel  of  slack  water. 

About  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  i)assed  three 
canoes  lianled  up  on  the  rii^ht  bank,  their  owners  being 
asleep  (m  the  warm  sand  of  the  shore,  nearly  naked. 
Tlieii-  clothes  were  hanging  out  to  dry,  and  they  wei-e 


U' 


Tiiknraif  'iiih:  lower  li.xMiwnrs. 


2U1 


I'vidciitly  rciuainiiiu' over  liom  the  liciu  y  niiii-stonii  ol' 
llicdny  bj'l'oit'.  I*«'r.sist«'n1  ydliiii;-  iiioiiscd  tli«'iii,  and 
out'  of  their  iiiiiiilx'r  put  <>IV  in  his  <>:in<M>,  ]):i(hlliiii.'' 
iiroiMid  th<>  rait,  hut  not  iiiKh't'stniidiii^^  <>ach  oth<>i\  ht* 
i'<'tm'n«'(l  to  th«'  shoic,  haviiiir  uttered  hut  one  word  tliat 
wet'oiihl  ('onii)rehend,  <•/'// ( tea i. 

A  hair  hoMi'  artei'ward  we  passed  the  nioulh  of  the 
(Jhe-t.iiit,  a  fair-si/.ed  stream  ('((nnnu-  in  from  the  noith. 
Near  this  point  and  tor  some  distance  beyond,  we  saw 
:i  nnmherof  ohl  Indian  si<ins,  siicii  as^^ravt's,  habitations 
and  riir/ns,  but  tlie  oidy  livinu;  representatives  ol'  tlie 
tribe  were  ♦'(  thre(»  sUM'pei's  we  had  seen  a  few  miles 
bark.  Xumlx  ,s  of  hir^e  wicker  lish-tiaps  were  seen 
alony'  the  bt>ach,  none  of  which,  however,  wei'e  set  ;  and, 
in  ueneiai,  an  air  of  desolation  prevailed.  As  soon  as 
the  early  cold  sna])s  of  approach  inn'  winter  alonu'tho 
Arctic  coast  of  Alaska  send  tli(»  reindeer  sonthward  on 
their  miiiiations,  tiiese  Nimiods  of  the  rivei-  hasten 
northward  to  meet  tlieni,  for  tlieir  skins  fnrnish  most 
iu'reptal)le  wintei-  clothin.<,^  and  their  nu'at  is  a  welcojne 
chan<i:e  from  the  dried  salmon  of  the  riv«>r.  About  six 
o'clock  we  saw  :i  faii'dookin';*  Indian  lo;>' honse  on  the 
ri^ht  bank  of  the  river,  liavin<i,'  a  htirnihord  ( Russian 
name  for  lo<jj-ciibin,  half  or  nearly  nnder^round,  the 
"dnu-out""  of  tho  AVest),  and  rncht'  attached.  All  of 
the  Indian  rr/^7/^.v  of  the  lower  ramjjarts,  and  evvn  fiii- 
tlier  down  the  river  nntil  the  Eskimo  are  encounteicd, 
are  merely  diminntive  loix-cabins  from  about  four  bv  foui- 
to  eight  by  eight,  mounted  on  c()i'n<*r  logs  so  high  that  one 
can  walk  nndei-neath  the  floor,  which  is  generally  made  of 
poles  or  ])unche(ms.  A  steeji  log  leans  against  the  door- 
sill  and  is  cut  into  steps,  to  enable  the  <nvner  to  ascend 


!    '    ! 


il 


!i 


;l;"': 


I      1^  I, 


, 

^■j    '  i 

"  .         ■ 

ii 

h  .  1 

ii 

Ui  L 

^     -i 

292 


ALONCJ  Af.ASKA'S  (iUEAT  RIVER. 


(see  initial  piece  to  this  clmpt*'!).  The  owner  of  this 
particuhir  cabin  liad  disphiycd  mncli  more  than  tlie 
usual  enerijy  in  tlie  construction  of  liis  domicile,  tliere 
actually  bein<^  a  fence  inclosini;'  a  small  yard  on  one  side 
of  the  house,  and  woodcm  steps  leading'  up  the  steei)l)aidc 
from  the  waters  ed<i:e  to  the  little  plateau  ujion  which 
the  cabin  was  built.  Tiiese  wei-e  roughly  but  ingeni- 
ously constructed  of  small,  short  lengths  of  log,  the 
upper  sides  being  leveled  with  an  adze  or  ax. 

We  camped  at  8:;J()  i*.  .m.  near  several  Indian  graves, 
about  a  n)ile  or  two  above  the  mouth  of  the  AVhym- 
per  lliver,  which  comes  in  from  the  left,  ind  just 
on  the  upper  boundary  of  the  conspicuous  valley  of 
that  stream.  There  were  quite  a  number  of  graves  at 
this  point,  forming  the  first  and  only  burying  place  we 
saw  on  the  river  that  might  be  called  a  family  graveyard, 
/.  c,  a  spot  where  a  number,  say  six  or  seven,  were 
buried  in  a  row  within  a  single  indosure.  From  its 
posts  at  the  corners  and  sides  were  the  nsiuil  totems  and 
old  rags  flying,  two  of  the  carvings  representing,  I  think, 
a  duck  and  a  bear  respectively,  while  the  others  could 
not  be  made  out.  We  had  heard,  in  an  imperfect  way, 
on  the  uj^per  river,  that  some  disease  was  raging  among 
the  natives  on  the  lower  part,  and  that  whole  villages 
had  been  swept  away  and  l)odies  left  unburied,  but  this 
proved  to  be  wholly  sensational.  A  mild  form  of 
measles  had  indeed  attacked  a  small  town,  causing  one 
or  two  deaths,  but  this  was  the  only  foundation  we 
could  find  for  the  report.  I'lie  Yukon  lliver,  however,  is 
a  great  thoroughfare  for  contagious  disease,  and  mala- 
dies raging  among  the  Chilkats  have  been  known  to 
travel  its  whole  course  as  rapidly  as  Ave  had  done,  and 


THROUGH  THE  LOWER  RAMPARTS. 


293 


-ly, 


this 
of 
one 
we 
r,  is 
lala- 
n  to 
and 


from  the  river  as  a  base  liad  spread  right  and  left  among 
the  native  tribes,  until  the  cold  weather  of  ajoproachinr^ 
winter  subdued  them,  if  they  were  amenable  to  the  influ- 
ence of  temperature.  I  have  never  lieard  of  any  return 
ing  against  tlie  stream,  but  instances  of  their  descending 
it  are  not  infrequent.  Dr.  Wilson  tried  to  get  a  skull 
out  of  the  many  we  assumed  were  at  hand,  to  send  to 
the  Army  Museum's  large  craniological  collection,  but 
although  several  very  old-looking  sites  were  oi)ened,  the 
skulls  were  too  fresh  to  be  properly  prepared  in  the  brief 
time  at  our  disposal. 

The  most  welcome  change  in  this  hilly  country  is  the 
diminishing  of  the  gnats  and  mosquitoes  into  quite 
endurable  numbers.  We  found  several  varieties  of  ber- 
ries near  this  camp,  one  or  two  of  which  were  quite  pal- 
atable ;  the  crisp  rosebuds  still  continuing  to  api^ear, 
although  perhaps  they  were  not  so  large  as  those  we 
found  near  old  Fort  Yukon. 

These  lower  ramparts  so  closely  resemble  the  ramparts 
of  the  Upper  Yukon  in  many  i)articulars  that  the  convic- 
tion seemed  irresistible  that  thev  are  one  and  the  same 
chain  of  mountains,  and  if  I  may  be  excused  the  simile, 
are  stretched  like  a  bow-string  across  the  great  arc  of  the 
Yukon,  as  it  bends  northward  into  the  Arctic  flat-lands, 
which  latter  beyond  the  timber  line  become  the  great 
Arctic  tundra. 

The  night  of  August  3d  was  very  cold,  only  a  few 
degrees  above  freezing,  and  besides  the  chance  it  gave  us 
for  a  most  comfortable  night's  rest,  it  stiffened  uj)  the 
few  mosquitoes  of  the  evening  before  so  completely  that 
they  had  to  suspend  operations  altogether.  Just  before 
starting  Corporal  Shircliff  killed  a  large  porcupine  near 


ii 


m 


ml 


m 


294 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lilVLU. 


^ 


cmni),  iiii  aiiimul  said  to  he  ([uitc  nimici-ous  alonti;  tlu' 
river,  and  so  abundant  in  tli<^  llatdands  near  Fort  Yukon 
as  to  attach  his  name  to  the  hu'u'e  trihutaiy  wliich  joins 
the  rivei'  at  that  point.  It  was  nearly  ciuiit  o'chK'k  when 
we  started,  and  al'tci-  a  nnh'*>  drii'tini;-  we  ])assed  tiie 
mouth  of  the  \Viiyni]ie)'  IJivci-.  which  wccouM  not  see 
until  al'tci'  wc  had  uot  well  past  it.  Its  valh'v.  however, 
is  ([uite  noticeable,  and  one  would  iuinie(liately  conjee- 
tun^  that  ;i  river  oJ"  considei'able  dimensions  flowed 
tlii'ouiih  it. 

A  somewhat  ludicrous  incident  took  place  at  a  short 
distance  be]f)w  this  point.  As  we  wei-e  dril'tiny  alon^;'  a 
coujde  of  wolves  came  ti'ottin.n'  leisui'eiy  around  a  point 
of  land  just  ahead  of  us,  and  the  cor[)oraI  and  the 
cook  pickini;-  up  thei-  rifles  bewail  iii'inn-  at  them  with 
the  usual  fatal  results — to  the  ammunition — the  wolves 
simitly  sna])])in,i2:  at  each  shot  as  it  was  fired,  but  not 
apparently  increasinij;  their  ]iace,  tliough  they  were  but 
si'venty-live  or  a,  hundi'ed  yards  away.  After  fully  half 
.1  dozen  shots  had  been  discharged  as  fast  as  the  two 
could  load  and  tire,  an  Indian  house  broke  nn(^xi)ectedly 
into  view  around  the  point  from  whioli  the  wolves  had 
come,  and  in  one  breath  two  or  three  of  the  amused  spec- 
tators called  out  to  the  spoi'tsmen  that  they  were  firing 
ar  Indian  dogs,  as  was  ])iT)ved  h\  the  tameness  of  the 
animals  and  their  proximity  to  the  hous(>:  whereupon  I 
told  the  nien  to  (h'sist.  The  funny  thing  was  that  they 
really  were  wolves,  and  the  two  men  had  fired  so  rapidly 
and  the  buHeis  had  struck  the  bank  and  torn  out  the 
gravel  just  beyond  the  ainmals  so  fast  that  all  their 
attention  was  absorbed  in  that  direction  and  thus  they 
did   not  observe   us,  the  reports  of  the  shots  and  the 


m 


A 


I 


H 
5 


o      — 


O 


H 


'I        i 


Mi 


i:'4 


!  '■!: . 


111 


/.h  !■' 


i!i|l 


(;!■ 


';;■:  :f 


■,!M' 


i 


;r  il: 


,'  'I'   J 


i 


i  m 


m 


n 


Tl  J  no  call  THE  LOWER  liAMPARTS. 


297 


e(ilioes  of  tlu»  im[>a('.ts  being  so  coiit'iising.  The  moment 
we  ceased  and  tliey  heard  our  voices  and  got  one  look  at 
us  out  on  tli<;  river  the  rapidity  with  wliich  they  sought 
the  woods,  left  no  doubt  as  to  their  species.  The  Indian 
h<mse  and  surroundings  were  deserted  and  tiie  wolves 
had  been  smelling  around  and  investigating  some  old  ani- 
mal refuse  near  by. 

This  part  of  the  river  was  particulaily  abundant  in 
Indian  signs  of  a  permanent  character  on  both  banks  of 
the  river,  but  not  a  living  soul  was  seen  anywhere. 

A  most  exasperating  gale  of  wind  raged  all  day,  driv- 
ing us  into  areas  of  shu'kwater  in  which  we  could 
scarcely  move,  and  keeping  lis  alongside  of  steej)  banks 
in  the  river  bends ;  and  when  camp  was  made  shortly 
after  eight  o'(dock,  after  being  on  the  water  over  twelve 
hours,  we  had  made  but  twenty-six  and  a  half  miles. 

During  the  dny  we  saw  a  number  of  places  at  which 
the  red  rocks  crop  out  from  the  summits  of  the  high 
hills,  resembling  those  on  the  eastern  side  of  Lake  Lin- 
dtunan,  which  had  been  named  the*'  Iron-Capped  Mount- 
ains" on  that  account.  The  contrast  of  color  was  not 
so  great,  however,  for  on  the  latter  range  the  rocks  pro- 
jected through  the  snow  and  blue-ice  of  the  glacier-cap, 
while  in  the  lower  ramparts  they  were  surrounded  by 
brownish-red  soil  and  autumnal  foliage.  I  doubt  if  I 
should  have  noticed  them  but  for  their  great  similarity 
to  those  on  the  headwaters  of  the  river. 

Our  Camp  47  was  near  a  small  stream  on  the  left  bank 
and  I  observed  that  all  of  these  little  creeks  passing 
through  the  wet  moss  and  tundra-like  carpet  undei*- 
neath  the  dense  timber,  were  highly  (colored  with  a  port- 
wine  hue,  although  their  waters  were  so  clear  that  one 


Mi 

[l^■ 


l".)S 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVKR. 


1  1  ii 


,)i 


could  ofton  s<>H  to  the  bottom  in  places  thi'e»»  aii''  four 
feet  deep.  Piobably  these  sti'eanis  have  their  so.irces 
in  the  iron-inipre<^nated  soil  and  lock  of  the  adjacent 
mountains,  and  if  Howing  through  land  where  the  drain- 
ings  have  absorbed  the  dyes  from  <lecaying  leaves  and 
vegetation,  acipiire  this  deej)  red  coloi",  almost  verg- 
ing on  i)uriile,  foi'ining  a  sort  of  natural  ink,  as  it  were. 
W^iierever  these  streams  empty  themselves,  their  wateis 
make  a  striking  contrast  with  the  white  and  muddy  river, 
antl  often  where  there  was  nothing  else  to  indicate  that 
we  were  approaching  a  tributary,  we  would  see  ahead  a 
dark  stripe  running  out  fnmi  the  bank  and  curving  down 
stream  as  it  took  up  the  new  direction  of  the  river's 
course,  and  this  would  indicate  the  presence  of  a  creek 
fi'om  the  hillsides,  long  before  we  could  reach  its  mouth. 
Two  days  after  entering  this  hilly  country  we  aj)- 
proached  the  rapids  of  the  lower  ramparts,  of  which  we 
had  heard  and  read  so  much  that  we  felt  a  little  anxietv  as 

• 

to  the  danger  of  approaching  them.  We  had  a  very  good 
map,  Raymond's,  of  this  part  of  the  river,  and  knew  just 
about  where  to  expect  them,  and  this  circumstance, 
coupled  with  the  instructions  received  on  the  upper  river 
to  keep  well  toward  the  left  bank,  reassured  us  somewhat ; 
but  still  we  had  double  complements  of  men  at  both  bow 
and  stern  oars  to  be  used  in  case  of  emergency.  A  little 
bit  uncertain  at  one  point  in  regard  to  our  position  with 
respect  to  the  rapids  we  made  hasty  inquiries  at  a  snudl 
Indian  village  near  which  we  drifted,  and  its  occupants 
told  us  that  we  had  passed  the  rapids  about  half  a  mile 
back,  the  natives  pointing  to  an  insignificant  reef  of  low 
white  bowlders  that  jutted  out  a  short  distance  from  the 
right  bank.    They  were  certainly  the  mildest  rapids  I 


THROUGH  THE  LOWER  RAMPARTS. 


299 


hud  over  soon.  Buriiif^  lii^hor  water,  when  tlie  current 
is  swifter  and  tlie  reef  just  projects  fi'om  tlie  swift  water, 
tliese  nipidsniay  apiH'armon!  formidable,  but  if  tliis  part 
of  tlie  river  luid  been  wholly  unexplon d  until  our 
arrival,  I  (h)ubt  seriously  whether  we  should  ever  liave 
observed  them.  At  this  point  the  river  is  only  about 
two  liundred  and  fifty  yards  wide,  and  although  the  <'iii- 
rent  noticeably  increases,  its  increase  can  not,  I  think,  be 
in  any  proportional  to  the  vast  volume  of  water  the  river 
must  carry  through  such  a  narrow  channel ;  the  stream 
must,  therefore,  be  unusually  deep.  This  part  of  the 
lower  ramparts,  which  maybe  assumed  to  be  the  '*  back- 
bone "  or  summit  of  the  chain  of  high  hills  through  which 
the  river  has  cut  its  way,  is  very  picturesque,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  squally  weather  and  the  black  clouds 
that  were  lowering  over  the  crests,  I  should  have  lingered 
awhile  so  as  to  procure  a  few  photographs  of  the  scenery. 
Gloster's  sketches  served  our  purpose  too  well  in  such 
places  to  think  of  delaying  very  long  for  this  object  at 
any  point  of  the  journey,  and  one  of  them  is  shown  on 
page  205.  I  think  it  would  be  a  fair  estimate  to  say 
that  the  hills  of  the  upper  ramparts  in  their  highest  ele- 
vations are  nearly  twice  the  height  of  the  corresiionding 
ones  in  the  lower  ramparts. 

AVe  passed  the  rapids  of  the  ramparts  at  2:10  p.m., 
and  the  Indian  village  below  ten  minutes  later.  This  is 
called  Senati's  (Senatee's)  village  upon  previous  maps, 
and  at  the  date  of  our  arrival  was  made  up  of  two  well- 
worn  tents  and  four  birch-bark  houses,  the  whole  contain- 
ing from  forty  to  fifty  souls.  Over  half  a  dozen  canoes 
put  olT  from  the  village  and  were  soon  paddling  around 
us,  whereupon  a  lively  competition  ensued  for  supplying 


! 


'U 


1^  J 


300 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  li/VlJIi. 


I .(;      I 


^■^'•li 


'<  \i 


1 1 


I  I 


lis  witli  (U'U'd  and  smoked  sjdmon.  Tt  was  at  this  villa/j^o 
tliat  I  lirst  noticed  the  romid-i'imined  hand  net  sitokeii 
of  in  a  former  chapter  as  ai)pearin.^  on  tlie  lower 
riv(!r.  Their  handles  of  ten  and  twelves  feet  in  len^tli 
may  apjx'ar  to  contradict  my  conjectiiie  as  to  tlie  nnns- 
iijil  dei)th  of  tile  river  hei'e,  or  the  Indians  may  ^o  fnr- 
tlier  down  to  tisli,  as  we  saw  larii*;  numbeis  of  their 
{.'(U'hi'S  i)erclied  ak)ng  tlie  right  bank  some  distance 
below,  Onr  camp  was  ti  forced  one  that  evening, — the 
nth — as  we  got  stuck  on  a  sundspit  at  the  head  of  an 
island  where  we  had  to  make  "  a  rubber-boot  cam})"  as 
the  men  designated  any  place  wheie  we  grounded  in 
shoal  water  so  far  from  th(i  shore  that  rubber-boots  liad 
to  be  put  on  in  order  to  carry  the  cooking  and  camping 
effects  to  the  selected  si)ot.  Cold  and  stormy  as  the  day 
had  been  the  mosquitoes  sent  a  fair  representation  to 
inform  us  that  we  had  not  Ixn^n  deserted  by  them.  Fiom 
Camp  47  to  Camp  48,  Mr.  Ilonian  liguiHl  the  day's  run 
of  nearly  twelve  hours'  uninterrupted  drift  at  but 
twenty-seven  miles,  and  this  in  the  nari'owest  portion  of 
the  ramparts,  where  we  had  hoped  the  current  would 
increase.  I  was  much  inclined  to  think  that  our  prog- 
ress had  been  underestimated  four  or  five  miles,  and 
that  a  desire  to  coincide  with  Captain  Raymond's  maps 
had  marred  an  otherwise  almost  faultless  reckoning. 

Shortly  after  no(m  on  the  Gth — having  started  at  half- 
past  eight — we  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Tanana,  having 
found  one  more  island  on  this  stretch  of  the  river  than 
is  mapped  by  Raymond.  A  half-dozen  more  islands  in 
many  parts  of  the  wide  river  or  even  half  a  hundred  more 
or  less  at  anj'  i)oint  in  the  ilat-lands  might  have  escaped 
detection  on  any  previous  mai),  but  here  the  shores  are  so 


Tllh'Olf.ir  THE  L()\Vi:i!  RAMJWRTS. 


301 


bold  and  the  islands  so  few  and  conspicuous  thnt  llicy 
can  hardly  escape  casual  observation,  and  an  error  ol" 
even  one  upon  the  niiip  would  ntti'act  notice. 

Tlui  Taiiiina  River,  to  uliich  1  have  i-et'erred,  is  the 
lari-'est  tributary  of  the  Yukon,  and  is  fully  the  peer  of 
the  i)arent  str<'ani,  at  the  point  of  coniluence.  AVere  it 
not  fortius  fact  thnt  tlie  <j,«'Oi;-rai)liicaI  feiitiii'es  which 
must  necessarily  limit  the  dr;una^i;«'  area  of  each  i)reclude 
the  TaiiJina  basin  from  <'([u;iliiiu-  thnt  of  IheYidxon,  a 
casualobserver  standing" at  the  junction  of  llu'  two  might 
well  be  i)U/zled  to  know  which  of  the  two  was  entitled 
to  be  regard<'d  as  the  main  stream.  The  Yukon  Kiver 
at  this  point  is  a  litth.'over  thirteen  hundred  miles  in 
length  from  its  head,  ;ind  a  glance  at  a  lUii])  will  show 
that  in  its  great  northward  bend  it  has  inclosed  the 
Tanana,  which  would  hnve  to  make  a  great  many  wind- 
ings within  this  area  in  order  to  ecpial  the  Yukon  in 
length,  acase  whicli  we  are  not  justified  in  assunung. 
There  isarough  method,  however,  of  arriving  at  its  length, 
according  to  the  story  told  me  by  an  old  trader  on  the 
river,  upon  whose  word  I  can  rely.  AVitli  one  white 
companion,  and  some  Indians  as  packers,  he  crossed  from 
the  trading  station  at  Belle  Isle,  near  Johnny's  village 
or  Klaf-ol-A'Iin,  in  a  southwest  direction,  over  the  hills 
that  divide  the  Y'ukon  and  Tannna,  basins,  ascending  a 
tributary  of  the  former  and  descending  one  of  the  latter, 
the  journey  occupying  two  or  thr«»e  weeks,  after  which 
the  Indians  were  sent  back.  A  boat  was  constructed 
from  the  hide  of  a  moose,  resembling  the  "bull-boat" 
of  the  western  frontiersmen,  nnd  in  this  they  drift  „d  to 
the  river's  mouth.  At  the  point  where  the  two  travelers 
first  sighted  the  Tanana,  the  trader  estimated  it  to  be 


/ 


I, 

:,f   ij: 


'      II 


II 


f\ 

m  '>■    ^' 

i 


;502 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


jiboiit  twelve  liimdicd  vanls  wide,  or  very  nenilv  (hive- 

t.  at 

quMrtei'sol'ii  mile,  and  as  they  were  lloaliiig  Urteeii  or  six- 
teen hours  a  (h;v  I'oi'  ten  (hjvs,  on  a  nirient  whose  speed 
iie  estiniale(l  at  six  or  seven  nni<'s  an  honi',  it  heiii;;'  much 
swiftei-  tlian  the  Yukon  at  any  i)oint  as  hi^h  as  I'elje 
(sle,  my  jjd'ormant  computed  liis  pro;^ress  at  from  ninety 
to  a  iiundred  nnh's  a  (hiy  ;  or  from  nine  hundred  lo  a 
thousand  mih's  ah)n^'  the  Taiiana.  Jle  estimates  the 
whoU'  h'lintii  of  the  livei*  by  combining'  the  result  ol'  his 
observation  with  Indian  re])orts,  at  from  ten  to  twelve 
iiundred  milejj,  JA'ar  of  tlieTanana  Imlians  appears  to 
Ix*  the  motive  for  tlie  rapid  rate  of  travel  through  tlieir 
country,  and  altliougii  in  general  a  very  friendly 
tribe  to  encounter  awav  from  liome,  thev  have  always 
o))posed  any  exploration  ol"  tlieii'  country.  Tlie  tiader's 
c()mi>ani(m  had  suggested  and  i)romoted  the  Journey  as 
a  f/ff(ts'i  scientific  expedition,  and  he  collected  a  few 
skullsof  the  natives  and  some  botanical  spe(!imens,  l)ut  no 
maps*or  notes  were  made  of  the  trip,  and  it  was  aftei-wai'd 
said  by  the  Alaska  Company's  employes  that  tlie  exploi-er 
was  an  enyoy  of  tlie  "  opposition,"  as  the  old  traders 
called  the  new  comi)any,  sent  to  obtain  informati(m 
regarding  the  country  as  a  trading  district.  Allowing  a 
fair  margin  for  all  possible  error,  I  think  the  river  is  fiom 
eight  hundred  to  nine  hundred  miles  long,  not  a  single 
portion  of  which  c;in  be  said  to  have  been  mai)])ed.*  This 
would  probably  nudve  the  Tanana,  if  I  am  right  in  my 
estimate,  the  longest  wholly  unexplored  river  in  the 
world,  certainly  the  longest  of  the  western  continent. 

As  we  drifted  by  its  mouth  we  could  only  form  an 
approximate  idea  of  its  width,  which  was  apparently  two 
or  three  miles,  including  all  channels  and  islands,  which 


*  I  liave  since  learned  that  Mr.  Bates  made  a  map  and  took  notes 


.  1^ 


lew 

)ut  no 

ward 

orci' 

ulci'S 

ill  ion 
in*;'  a 
I'lom 

sin.u'le 
Phis 

in  my 

in  the 

nt. 

in  an 
y  two 
which 


Si 

Si 

o 

o 

o 

g 

?: 

p. 

'>^ 

:? 

03 

B 

a 

r> 

> 

n 

T"- 

•^ 

3 

N^ 

D 

/ 

H 

3 

O 

r* 

3 

g; 

») 

o 

E£ 

(^ 

o 

H 

o 

«^ 

o 

3 

O 

5 

•t 

>^ 

r* 

>■ 

S" 

!z! 

•s 

>■ 

■^ 

■^ 

f-*- 

If 

o 

• 

B 

■■il* 


k  noteb 


f   'l  i'i 


m  t 


i 


Tnunrau  Tin:  lowim  HAMPAtiTs'. 


30^ 


mnv  Ix'  of  the  natiirt' of  m  <l«'lt!i.  It  ;  "i'lncd  to  be  vrry 
swift  iiiid  hroii^lit  down  (iiuiiit  iticsof  uprooted  dril'l  liiii- 
bcr  of  liiruc  diiiiciisioiis  as  ('()iii]»iir«Ml  with  that  iuoimht  liy 
the  Yidvoii.  Looking'  hack  it  rcsciMhh'd  a  siwhh'iily 
exposed  iidaiid  hdve  on  the  hoi'ders  of  the  main  stieaiii, 
and  its  swif  I  waters  so  overwhelmed  those  of  the  Yukon 
tliat  a  great  shu'keiiing  took  i)hi('t.'  i*'  the  latter  near 
their  contlueiice,  forming  a  si u^'uish  jiool  into  which  wo 
helplossly  drifted.  All  these  circumstances  give  to  the 
Tanana  theappearance  of  e([ualit y  with  the  more  import- 
ant stieain.  Once  in  its  curivnt  we  went  skimunng  along 
at  a  rai)id  rate  that  revealed  the  force  of  the  new  stream. 
At  1:40  P.M.  we  j)asse(l  an  Jndian  village  of  foiii-  tents 
and  two  bircli-l)ark  liouses,  containing  from  twentv  to 
twenty-fivf3  sor's.  Among  the  canoemen  who  visited  us 
was    a    lialf-hreed    Indian,    verv    neatlv    and    jauntily 

^  ft  <  •!  ft 

dressed,  wlio  spoke  Englisli  quite  well,  and  wliom  we 
hired  to  ])ilot  lis  to  the  trading  station  at  Xuklakayet, 
the  channel    to  which  was  verv  blind,   and   difficult   to 

ft  ^ 

follow,  as  we  had  been  told  at  old  Fort  Yukon.  An 
hour  later  a  large  native  village  was  jiasspd  on  the  north 
bank,  a])parently  deserted  ;  and  another  hour  bi-ought 
us  to  tlie  "opposition"  store  of  the  old  Northein 
Trading  (/onipany,  ai'ound  which  was  groui)ed  qtiite  an 
extensive  collection  of  Indian  cabins,  graves,  vavlivn^  and 
other  vestiges  of  habitation.  The  old  store  was  nearly 
demolished,  while  the  once  tluiving  Indian  village  had 
hardly  a  sign  of  life  in  it. 

At  lialf-past  four  o'clock  we  ])assed  two  or  three  sm;dl 
Indian  camps  on  the  upper  ends  of  some  contignous 
islands,  up(m  which  they  were  s])ending  tlie  summer  in 
fishing  for  salmon.     At  the  upper  ends  of  these  islands 


i .    0* 


r'.i 


;wG 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


they  build  oblique  weirs  or  wicker-work  wing-dams  con- 
verging to  a  certain  point,  at  whicli  a  large  wicker-work 
net  is  i)laced,  and  into  the  latter  the  salmon  are  directed 
and  there  caught.  These  wicker-work  nets  are  similar  to 
those  heretofore  spoken  of  as  having  been  seen  scattered 
along  the  beach  in  front  of  a  small  house  just  after  enter- 
ing the  ramparts,  and  some  of  them  are  so  large  that  a 
man  might  walk  into  their  open  mouths,  while  they  are 
probably  a  score  of  feet  in  length.  These,  together  with 
the  native  hand-nets,  already  sj^oken  of,  are  the  only 
api)liances  I  saw  used  for  catching  fish  ;  but  they  serve 
amply  to  supply  the  natives  throughout  the  year,  and 
to  give  their  numerous  dogs  a  salmon  apiece  every 
day. 

A  little  after  six  o'clock  we  sighted  the  Nuklakayet 
trading  station,  and  after  much  hard  labor  succeeded  in 
making  a  landing  there,  for  the  channel  was  most  tor- 
tuous, and  without  our  Indian  pilot  we  sliould  j)robably 
have  missed  the  place  altogether,  so  much  dodging 
through  winding  ways  and  around  obscure  islands  was 
necessary.  Mr.  ITarpei',  whom  we  found  in  charge,  was 
the  only  white  man  present,  although  Mr.  McQuestion, 
and  another  trader  who  was  down  the  river  at  the  time 
(Mr.  Mayo),  make  the  station  their  headquarters.  It  is 
the  furthest  inland  trading  post  at  present  maintained 
by  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company —or  any  other  cor- 
poration on  the  river — although  there  were  formerly 
others  of  v.hich  mention  has  been  made,  but  an  occasional 
visit  of  the  river  steamer  has  taken  their  place.  Nukla- 
kayet  was  once  on  the  Ha  bottom  land  at  the  junction  of 
the  Tanana  and  the  Yukon,  and  was  considered  a  sort  of 
neutral  ground  for  the  British  traders  from  above  and 


US  con- 
;r-\vork 
lirected 
nilar  to 
mattered 
?r  enter- 
e  tliat  a 
they  are 
iier  with 
;he  only 
ley  serve 
ear,  and 
iG  every 

klakayet 
eeded  in 
nost  tor- 
probably 
dodging 
ands  was 
irge,  was 
Question, 
the  time 
rs.     It  is 
intained 
ther  cor- 
formerly 
rcasional 
Nukla- 
nction  of 
a  sort  of 
bove  and 


'■ 


X 


w 

o 

w 

H 

H« 

W 
W 

O 

V. 

H 

O 
► 

e 
w 

H 

K 

n 

H 
w 


J/2 

H 
H 

c! 


> 
C/: 


ii 


If 

1 

ij' 

*  mffi Bi!" 

,      ' 

;■■- 

'  ■  ! 

■■i: 

i 

'\'f-.- ' 

j 

%  ' 

1  8 

t 

'■  * 

i' 

■irr' 


I  .    -mm 


I  I! 


THROUGH  THE  LOWER  RAMl'ARTS. 


309 


the  Russians  below,  there  behig  at  tliat  time  summer 
trading  <'amps  only  in  existence. 

Here  .\lr.  llari)er  luul  attemi)tedasmall  garden,  which 
is  certainly  the  most  northerly  garden  existing  in  thetei-- 
ritory  of  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  western  conti- 
nent;  it  being  eighty-tive  geographical  or  nim^y-eight 
siatute  miles  from  the  Ai'ctic  circle,  oi-  within  a  coui)le 
of  days'  journey  of  the  polar  regions.  The  garden  is 
shown  in  the  illustration  taken  from  a  photogi'aph  made 
by  Ml'.  Iloman.  Its  princi2)al  vegetables  weiv  tuiiiijjs, 
the  largest  of  which  raised  that  yes'r  weighed  a  little 
over  six  pounds.  They  sf  emed  parti(Milarly  crisj)  and 
acceptable  to  our  palates,  most  of  us  eating  tlu'm  i-aw, 
a  la  Sellers.  T  never  knew  before  that  turnips  were 
so  palatable.  A  few  other  hardy  plants  and  veget- 
ables completed  the  contents  of  the  garden.  (Jar- 
dening  in  this  country,  however,  must  be  greatly  im- 
peded by  the  swarms  of  mosquitoes,  while  agricul- 
ture on  a  (;onsiderabh^  scale  would  be  retarded  ])y  the 
wet  and  mossy  character  of  the  soil.  ]\rr.  nai'i)er 
has  chosen  a  south-eastern  slope  directly  on  the  river 
bank,  and  here  the  immediate  drainage  has  heli)ed  him 
to  overcome  the  hitter  obstacle  to  the  success  of  his 
garden. 

We  inspected  the  ''barka,"  or  decked  schooner  of  ten 
or  twelve  tons,  and  I  decided  to  take  her,  although  f<\ar- 
ing  that  we  might  find  many  moi-e  discomforts  in  her 
cramped  quarters,  than  upon  oui-  old  raft. 

Here,  too,  the  old  raft  was  laid  away  in  peace,  xierhaps 
to  become  kindling-wood  for  the  ti'ader's  stove.  Hough 
and  rude  as  it  was.  T  had  a  friendliuess  for  the  uncouth 
vessel,  which  had  done  such  faithful  service,  and  borne 


fir. 
fir 


ir* 


r*!*.. 


;i 


!':     t    li 


f  i 


1 1 


t     I!  ;  1 


l*iJtf" 


li 

1-     1 

1  .  ; 

Ijil:    Ui 

1'      l^li: 

if- 

H'fji  ,    ; 

\\    i 

Ikfti;              1 

1 

SfU  ^] ;(; 

lil'l 


:■;;  t 


310 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


US  safely  through  so  many  trials,  surprising  us  with 
its  good  qualities.  It  had  explored  a  larger  portion 
of  the  great  river  than  any  more  pretentious  craft, 
and  seemed  to  deserve  a  better  fate. 


us  with 

portion 

IS   craft, 


m 


y 


i 


1 


\:J 


/ 


llill!! 


iMi 


li 


■n 

W 

1-3 

HH 

in 

^ 

4) 

CO 

^^.^ 

,M 

CO 

C3 

T-H 

^ 

*^»^ 

3 

>^ 

/. 

« 

L. 

O 

.^ 

n 

f-< 

c 

■r. 

o 

H 

^ 

h^ 

3 

>- 

CI 

C 

Q 

c 

S', 

?; 

W 

-d 

K 

X 

H 

s 

u 

H 

tn 

< 

H 

!5 

o 

-^ 

o 

« 

H 


liJIlllL 


75 

» 

to  & 

CO  J 

1—1  .ii 

' — '  3 

•r.  o 

^  .3 


O    -5 


«4 


C3 

!5 

o 

c 


rilAPTER  XTl. 

DOWN    Tin:    IJJVEK    AM)    HOMK. 

JIE  7tli  of  Augu^<t  we  remained 
over  pumping-  out  tlu^  bi'ge- 
water  from  the  "•bariva"  and 
transferring  freight  from  tlie 
raft  to  the  schooner,  and  making 
use  of  our  pliotograi)hi('  ap])ar- 
atus. 

At    Nukhikayet  the    Eskimo 
dogs  begin  to  ajypear,  forty  or 
inhian  outdoor  oitn  covkrino,  fiftv  beiuiT  owned   hv  the   sta- 

O.N    TUB   LOWER   YUKON     HIVEU.  "^  '  J         Meillj,       w  »  lit  V^l        U^         lilt         ."M  .1 

tion,  tile  majority  of  ^vhicll  Mr.  Harper  feared  hesliould 
have  to  kill  to  save  the  expense  of  feeding  tliemtlirougli 
the  winttM'.  As  each  of  them  ate  a  salmon  a  day,  it  will 
be  seen  that  this  cost  was  no  small  item.  I  remembered 
the  trouble  I  had  once  experienced  in  obtaining  even  a 
smaHer  number  of  these  useful  creatures  ;  a  difiiculty 
wiiich  many  another  Arctic  traveler  has  encountered, 
while  here  was  a  pack  about  to  be  slaughtiM-ed  that 
would  well  suffice  for  any  sledging  i)arty.  The  Eskimo 
dogs  of  Alaska  are  lai'ger,  iiner-looking,  and  a  much 
more  distinct  variety  than  those  of  North  Hudson's  Hay, 
King  William  Land  country,  and  adjacent  districts  :  a 
description  of  any  one  Alaska  dog  answering  nearly  for 
all,  while  among  the  others  1  have  named,  there  was  tlie 
widest  difference  in  size,  shape  and  general  ai)pearance. 


'lit 


!  I'  ■. 


I': 


1^ 


i( 


814 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


'I  •'  I 


I     >! 


ii 

!       /-I 
^       i 

i' 

!l'    '1 


M 
ii 


From  all  I  c^ald  learn,  and  I  was  careful  to  inquire  of 
their  capabilities,  I  do  not  think  the  Alaskan  Eskimo 
dogs  can  compare  with  the  others  in  endurance,  whether 
as  Regards  fatigue,  exposure  or  fasting.  For  all  the 
purposes  of  men  who  are  never  in  fear  of  starvation,  I 
think  it  more  than  probable  that  the  Alaskan  Eskimo 
dog  would  be  found  superior  on  short  journeys  and  trips 
between  points  where  food  is  procurable  ;  but  for  the 
use  of  explorers,  or  of  any  one  who  may  be  exposed  to 
the  danger  of  famine,  the  others  are  undoubtedly  far 
superior.  ,  When  I  told  some  of  the  Yukon  River  traders, 
who  had  spent  much  of  their  lives  in  the  native  country 
of  these  dogs,  of  some  of  the  feats  of  endurance  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  species,  they  seemed  to  think,  judging  from 
their  countenances,  that  I  was  giving  them  a  choice  selec- 
tion from  the  Arctic  edition  of  Munchausen. 

Eskimo  boats,  or  those  in  which  the  wooden  frames 
are  covered  with  sealskin,  are  also  first  noticed  at  this 
place  ;  although  the  Eskimo  people  themselves  are  not 
found  as  regular  inhabitants  until  Anvik  has  been 
passed,  some  twenty  or  thirty  miles.  I  saw  both  kinds, 
the  smaller  variety,  or  klak,  in  native  language,  and  the 
large  kind,  or  oomien,  of  the  Eskimo.  An  attempt  had 
evidently  been  made  to  fashion  the  bow  and  stern  of  th'^ 
latter  into  nautical  "lines,"  with  a  result  much  more 
visible  than  with  those  of  Hudson's  Straits  and  Bay. 

On  Wednesday  the  8th  of  August,  we  got  away  late, 
and  there  being  a  slight  breeze  behind  us,  we  set  the  jib 
— the  only  sail  with  the  boat — and  were  agreeably  sur- 
prised at  the  manner  in  which  our  new  acquisition  cut 
through  the  water,  with  even  this  little  help  ;  the  sail 
assisting  her  probably  a  couple  of  miles  an  hour,  and, 


/Miill! 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


31£ 


uire  of 
Kskimo 
whether 
all  the 
ition,  I 
Eskimo 
nd  trips 
for  the 
osed  to 
;dly  far 
traders, 
country 
!  of  the 
ng  from 
ce  selec- 

frames 
at  this 
are  not 
^s  been 
1  kinds, 
and  the 
npt  had 
n  of  th'^ 
'h  more 
5ay. 

ay  late, 
t  the  jib 
bly  sur- 
tion  cut 
the  sail 
ur,  and, 


better  than  all,  making  it  very  easy  work  to  keep  in  the 
strongest  currents. 

Indian  villages  or  camps  were  seen  occasionally  on  the 
upper  ends  of  islands,  with  their  fish-traps  set  above 
them,  and  from  some  of  these  we  obtained  fresh  salmon. 
As  the  trading  stations  are  approached,  these  Indian 
camps  increase,  the  largest  being  generally  clustered 
around  the  station  itself,  while  a  diminution  both  in 
numbers  and  size  is  perceptible  in  proportion  to  the  dis- 
tance from  these  centers.  As  many  of  these  ciimi)s  are 
but  temporary  summer  affairs,  which  are  abandoned  late 
in  the  fall,  this  clustering  around  the  white  men's  stores 
becomes  more  marked  at  that  period.  That  night's 
camping,  however,  plainly  showed  us  that  the  "  barka  " 
was  not  as  good  as  the  raft  for  the  purpose  of  approach- 
ing the  shore,  it  drawing  about  three  feet  to  the  raft's 
twenty  inches,  so  that  ''rubber-boot  camps"  might  be 
quite  numerous  in  the  future.  Worst  of  all,  our  rubber 
boots  were  but  little  protection  in  three  feet  of  water,  and 
filling  to  the  top,  became  more  of  an  impediment  than 
otherwise  in  carrying  our  effects  to  the  shore.  Most  of 
our  camping  places  were  now  selected  with  reference  to 
steep  banks  that  had  at  least  three  feet  of  water  at  their 
foot,  yet  were  not  so  high  but  that  a  long  gang-plank 
oould  reach  the  crest. 

On  the  9th,  we  started  early  with  a  light  wind  in  our 
face  that  within  an  hour  had  become  a  furious  gale,  with 
white  capped  waves  running  over  the  broad  river  and 
dashing  over  our  boat.  We  ran  into  shoal  water,  dropped 
anchor,  and  tried  to  protect  ourselves  by  crawling  in 
under  the  leaking  decks.  Here  we  remained  cooped  up 
until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  gale  abat- 


m 


■'! 


;  I 


'  ■  i, 


'    I'  1        I,        !!p 


'   I'lr 


t'i^  i 


i:;'' 


nif? 


ALOXr,  ALASKA'S  (SRKAT  RIVER. 


Iii^  somewhat  we  pulh'd  up  unclior  {ind  diil'tcd  lor  six 
or  .seven  miles,  ^oin<;  into  earn])  at  ei^lit  o'clock,  iiiivinf^- 
inade  eight  and  ii-lialf  miles  for  the  day.  After  cami)in<i', 
the  gale  died  down  to  a  calm,  and  allowed  iis  the  full 
benelit  of  the  mosquitoes.  Either  we  were  getting  used 
to  their  attiicks,  or  the  season  had  affected  the  ins<'cts, 
for  they  appeared  less  numerous  than  on  the  ui)i)er  river. 

The  loth  was  another  day  starting  well  with  a  favorable 
breeze  and  ending  with  a  heavy  head-wind.  That  day 
we  i)assed  the  Newicargut  and  still  saw  luany  Indian 
camps  where  lisliing  for  salmon  was  going  on. 

The  11th  was  an  aggravating  repetition  of  the  events  of 
the  two  preceding  days.  That  day  we  passed  the  ^Meloze- 
cargut,  and  camped  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Yidvo- 
cargut.  '•"Cargut"'  is  the  native  name  for  river,  and 
Sooncargut,  Melozecargut,  and  Tosecargut,  have  been 
changed  to  Sunday-cargut,  ^londay-cargut,  and  Tuesday- 
cargut  by  the  English  si)eaking  traders  of  the  district. 

Another  object  now  influenced  our  selection  of  cami)s 
for  the  night,  and  that  was  to  choose  a  spot  with  few  or 
no  islands  in  its  front,  so  that  the  descending  river 
steamer  "Yukon"  could  not  pass  us  while  in  cam])  l)y 
taking  a  channel  hidden  from  our  view. 

Shortly  after  midnight  a  steamer's  whistling  was  heard 
far  down  the  river,  and  aftei'  a.  great  deal  of  anxiety  for 
fear  it  was  the  "  Yukon  "  that  had  passed  us  unnoticed, 
we  heard  the  puffing  approach  neaier  and  nearer,  and 
soon  saw  the  light  of  an  ascending  rivei-  steamer.  It 
proved  to  be  a  very  diminutive  but  i)owerful  little  thing 
which  Mr.   Mayo  was  taking  to  Nuklakayet  for  the 

*  Spelled  Chargut  on  Mr.  Homan's  map. 


nnwx  TUK  nrvKii  axd  home. 


:u: 


.     It 
thing 


winter.  Two  hrotlicrs  of  tlic  nanio  of  Sclu'lVclin,  the 
elder  of  wliom  is  well  known  in  fiontier  mining  liist(»iy 
us  tile  discoverer  of  th<^  eelebnited  Tond)stoiie  district  of 
Arizona,  liaving  amassed  a  fortune  in  that  t«'rritory, 
decided  to  try  tin;  ndning  j)ro«])ects  of  the  Yukon  and 
its  tributari«'s,  and  tlie  j)rioi'  year  had  chartered  a  vessri 
in  San  Francisco  on  whicli  tliey  put  this  little  river 
steamer,  aiul  sailed  for  the  Yukon.  Here  a  y»*ar  was 
spent  in prosjx'cting,  audalthougii ' 'ounce diggings*  wei'«; 
struck"  on  or  near  tiie  Melozecargut,  vet  all  the  sur- 
roundings  made  "  Kd  "  Schelfelin  think  it  would  not  pay 
to  put  capital  in  such  an  undertaking,  although  it  might 
remunerate  the  individual  elfort  of  the  itinerant  ndner 
whose  capital  is  his  pick-ax,  pan  and  shovel.  Eai'ly  in 
the  spring  the  Sclieffelins  got  a  letter  from  Arizona  which 
determined  their  return  to  the  United  States,  and  they 
had  left  the  river  a  few  weeks  previously,  the  thi'ee 
traders  at  Nuklakayet  buying  their  little  river  steamer, 
which  the  former  o\,'ners  had  named  the  "  New  Racket." 
The  wages  of  these  traders  had  been  reduced  by  the 
Alaska  Company  in  order  to  contract  expenses,  so  that 
the  company  might  mtUv<»  a  small  ])ercentage  on  the  large 
capital  invested,  until  the  traders  found  themselves  with- 
out sufficient  means  to  live  npon,  and  they  had  bought 
the  boat  intending  to  organize  a  small  trading  company 
of  their  own  upon  the  river  unless  their  former  wages 
were  restored.  The  Scheffelin  mining  expedition  was  an 
expensive  (me,  and  remarkably  well  "outfitted"  in  every 
necessary  department.  The  large  number  of  Eskimo 
dogs  at  Nuklakayet  had  been  selected  by  him  for  the 


i1 


t, 


*  Dig'ging's  that  will  pay  an  ounce  of  g'old  per  man  a  day,  or,  as 
gold  usually  runs,  from  $10  to  $20  per  day. 


M 


318 


AL()X(}  AJ.ASKA  S  (JRHAT  lilVEU. 


jmrposo  of  sk'(l;;iii,i;'  cxiM'ditioiis  In  winter  time.  TIo 
tli<)ii;jjUt  seriously  of  invadiii;;-  the  prcispcctivo  ^oM  liclds 
of  Africa  as  liis  next  VHiituit',  sliowin^^  plainly  the  i-ovin^ 
.spirit  which  had  served  hiin  so  well  in  the  arid  (icscrls 
of  Ai"i/ona.  IS'o  on«^  could  meet  him  anywheic  without 
wishin«^'  liim  ^^ood  luck  in  his  wild  advent  uies,  for  lie  was 
the  prince  of  ^ood  fellows. 

The  ''  New  liacket"  left  us  very  (»arly  in  the  morninu;, 
liavin^tied  up  alongside  of  cami»the  night  befoie,  while 
w«i  started  about  the  usual  time,  an  hour  after  daylight. 
About  ;}::J()  i». Af.  that  day— the  1:2th — vv«!  i)assed  a  veiy 
<'onsidei-able  Indian  village  called  Sakadelontin,  com- 
l)osed  of  a  nund)er  of  birch-bark  liouses  and  some  ten  or 
twelve  cachrs,  and  containing  piobably  iifty  or  sixty 
people.  It  is  (me  of  tlu^  few  large  villages  to  be  found 
at  any  great  distance  fi'om  a  trading  station.  Before 
reaching  it  we  o])served  a  number  of  native  coflins 
l)erched  up  in  the  tj"«'es,  tlui  lirst  and  only  ones  we  saw 
so  situated  on  the  liver.  All  day  on  the  12th  and  V.ith 
a  lieavy  gale  from  the  south  made  even  drifting  difficult. 
l'p(m  a  couple  of  northward-trending  stretches  of  the 
liver  that  were  encountered  on  the  llUh  we  set  the  Jib, 
and  spun  along  at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven  miles  an  hour. 
At  one  place  where  we  were  held  against  the  high  banks 
by  the  Tnvce  of  the  gale,  we  went  ashore,  and  much  to 
our  suijnise  found  a  most  prolific  luu'kleberry  patch, 
where  ^v  ?  all  regah^l  ourselves  as  long  as  the  wind  lasted. 
These  berries  were  qidte  common  along  this  i)art  of  the 
river,  and  nearly  every  canoe  that  put  off  from  a  camp  or 
village  would  have  one  or  two  trays  or  bowls  of  wood  or 
birch-bark  full  of  them,  which  the  natives  wanted  to 
trade  for  tea  or  tobacco.     We  camped  in  what  is  called 


t  ■, 


ins 


iir. 
iks 
to 
nil, 
ed. 


y. 
c. 


V, 


r; 

C 
y 


r 
C 


?1 
H 


•If 


f 
•0 


,jf  ill.  ,i:!j*,:ii;i  1;;^ 


,^ii,^.;#; 


■if  ifihi^ 

'''vf'l'ilji:: 


l,i    ;  .,iiji;i'ii|i'w|'l!:i,:;,':,'ii."i 

.,..niliiii!illlliHii'.i;!i'ii..iiMii|M 


I 


1 ,1 1 


,1' 


I  J 


li  ■ ; 


Ml   ■'  : 


]  '■>'■ 


ii  I  ill: , 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


321 


by  the  river  steamer  men  the  "cut-off  slough.''  just 
south  of  tlie  luoutl)  of  the  Koyukuk  River,  a  northei'U 
tributary  of  considerable  dimensions,  which  empties  into 
the  Yukon  at  a  point  wliei-e  it  makes  a  short  but  bold 
bend  to  the  north,  the  ''slough"  making  the  route  about 
one-fifth  shorter.  The  mouth  of  the  tributarv  is  nuirked 
by  the  Koyukuk  Sopka  (hill),  a  high  eminence  which 
is  visible  for  many  miles  around.  This  feature  is  char- 
a(?teristic  of  this  part  of  the  Yukon  Valley,  isolated  hills 
and  peaks  often  rising  precipitoiis^ly  fiom  a  perfectly 
level  countrv. 

The  14th  saw  us  make  Nulato,  quite  an  historical  place 
on  the  river.  It  was  the  furthest  inland  trading  station 
of  the  old  llussian-American  Fur  Company  at  Ww  time 
of  C'Ur  pur(;liase  of  Alaska,  and  had  been  used  as  such 
])y  them,  under  different  names,  for  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  century.  It  was  occupied  by  the  traders  of  the  Alaska 
Company  until  a  yowv  or  two  before  my  arrival,  as  well 
as  by  traders  of  the  "opposition,"  when  the  killing  of 
one  of  the  latter  led  to  trouble  with  the  Indians,  so  that 
both  companies  withdrew. 

Many  vears  ai^o,  one  cold  Avinter  niuht.  the  Russians 
of  the  station  were  massacred,  along  with  a  number  of 
friendly  Indians  \\\\o  had  assembled  around  the  stiition. 
In  this  disaster  fell  an  English  naval  officer,  Lieuten 
ant  Barnard  by  name,  who  was  looking  for  traces  of  iSir 
John  Franklin,  even  in  this  out-of-the-way  corner  of  the 
earth.  A  respectable  head-board  marks  his  grave,  but 
the  high  grass  and  willows  have  buried  it  almost  out  of 
sight. 

Here  also  lies  buried  a  locally  noted  Russian  charac- 
ter of  hard  reputation,  Kerchinikoff  by  name,  whose 


I 


■  f  I  '  If 


I 


1 

1 

Ml 

r 

il:.!/    i 

'A 

m  'M  1 

■  ,  ■ 

i 

1 

:      1 

SD^w't 

r 
i 

• 

■   ■      1 

, 

1^1 

^" 

'^1 

! 

« 

1 

f 

M 

ii 

;i' 


I'M 


i!1||     iU 


{illllnjilli 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

story  was  told  me  by  more  than  one  of  the  traders,  who 
had  known  him  and  heard  of  his  doings  in  his  adven- 
turous career.  It  was  roniancingly  said  by  way  of  illus- 
trating his  prowess  among  the  native  tribes,  that  if  the 
skulls  of  liis  Tndi.'in  victims  had  been  heaped  together  in 
liis  grave  they  would  not  only  lill  it  but  enough  would 
have  remained  to  erect  a  high  monument  to  his  mem- 
ory, lie  died  [it  a  great  age,  having  been  from  his  very 
youth  a  tei'ror  to  all  the  tribes  on  the  lowcn*  river,  but 
wholly  in  the  interests,  as  he  interpreted  them,  of  the 
great  iron  monopoly  to  which  he  b;  longed.  Many 
years  ago  rhe  few  Russian  traders  .)/  ''  Indreavsky 
station  had  been  massacred  by  the  Indians.  Kerchini- 
koff  asked  for  protection  and  a  sufficient  force  to  punish 
tli(^  inurderevs,  and  those  at  Xidato  transmitted  his  re- 
quest to  the  headquarters  of  the  Russian  Fur  Company 
at  far-olf  Sitka,  but  did  not  receive  even  the  courtesy  of 
an  answer.  With  one  or  two  compimions  he  put  a  couple 
of  old  rust}^  Russian  carronadesintheprowof  his  trading 
boat. — the  idc^ntical  one  on  which  we  were  drifting  down 
th"  river,  jind  which  he  himself  had  built — and  in  lieu  of 
2")' aper  ammunition,  which  he  was  unable  to  ;:'i,  he 
loaded  his  guns  with  sj^ikes,  hinges  and  whate  e.  >.'  ;.'ps 
of  iron  and  lead  he  could  pick  u})  around  Micha'oic')  J^}, 
and  appearing  suddc^dy  before  the  Indian  village,  dc!- 
mand(Ml  the  surrender  of  tho  murderers.  The  natives 
gathered  in  a  great  crowd  on  the  shore  of  the  river, 
laughing  derisively  at  his  apparently  absurd  demands, 
having  never  (>ven  heard  of  sru^h  a  thing  as  a  cannon. 
Spears  were  hurled  and  arrows  shut  at  the  I;  at.  which 
thereupon  slowly  approached,  hav  i^  its  cani;  :,  :^>  inted 
iit  the  dense  crowd.     When   an  arrow  buried     tself  in 


DOW\  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


323 


cs,  who 
adveii- 
)f  illiis- 
fc  if  the 
3ther  in 
1  would 
s  mem- 
liis  very 
ver,  but 
I,  of  the 

Many 
Teavsky 
Lerchini- 
3  punish 
1  his  re- 
omx>any 
irtesy  of 
a  couple 

trading 
Ing-  down 
nliou  of 

;-:^  V,  he 
, '  j.'ps 

|lagp,  clvi- 
)  natives 
he  river, 
(^niands, 
cannon, 
t.  which 
-;->.  inted 
itself  in 


the  i^row,  the  terril)le  report  of  the  two  carronades 
made  answer,  and  about  a  score  of  Indians  were  stretched 
ui)on  the  beach,  while  the  wounded  and  panic-stricken 
fled  in  great  numbers  to  the  woods  for  protection.  From 
that  day  not  a  single  drop  of  white  man's  blood  was  ever 
shed  by  any  savages  upon  the  lower  river,  until  Kerchin- 
ikoff  himself,  while  lying  on  his  sledge  in  a  drunken 
stupor,  was  stabbed  to  death  almost  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  graves  of  those  whom  he  had  avenged. 

We  landed  at  Ui^jier  Nulato  (tlie  "opposition "'  store), 
and  here  encountered  a  half-breed  \\ho  spoke  toleraole 
English,  and  who  pointed  out  the  places  just  men- 
tioned. 

"Hello,  wliere  you  come  r'  was  his  first  (piestion,  to 
which  we  bi'iefly  replied,  (jue  of  tlie  members  ol'  tlie 
party  i-emarkiug  it  was  cpiite  windy  h<'rt'al)(i!its.  rcfci'- 
rini;  to  the  tliree  oi  four  davs'  <>'a)y  we  had  had. 

"  Allee  time  like  tlint  uow,''  was  his  cheeiriil  answer. 
This  neatly-dressed  young  fellow  took  me  down  to  his 
c/irhe,  and  seemed  especially  delighted  in  showing  me 
his  new  "])arka,"  or  reindeer  coat,  for  winter  wear.  It 
was  one  of  the  highly-prized  '"  s])otti'd"  per /la.s.  The 
spotted  reindeer  are  bred  only  in  Asia,  and  their  hides — 
for  the  tribe  owning  them  will  nevei' allow  the  live  animals 
to  be  taken  away — find  their  way  into  Alaska  l)y  way  of 
Bering's  Srraits  by  means  of  intertribal  barter,  while 
numbers  hve  brought  by  the  Alaska  (Jonii)auy  Irom  llus- 
sian  ports  on  that  side,  and  are  used  as  trading  material 


ear  reindeer  clothing.     I  offered  a 
particular  "parka,"  but  the  o 


,.  »--%i» 


with  such  tribes  as  w 

good  price  for  this 

would  not  part  with  it,  as  they  are  especially  vtduable 

and  tolerably  rare  at  this  distance  up  the  river,  and  only 


I 


I 


H 


I.  ■ 


>:    '.\>\i 


mu 


■  i 


B'   ^r.\W' 


!!  I 


!  1 


i;l 


^i 


I'i' 


1..,'' 


324 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


the  wealthiest  Indians  ran  afford  to  bny  them.  He  told 
me  this  was  the  only  one  at  Niilato  at  the  time,  but  I  did 
not  know  how  much  faith  might  be  put  in  the  statement. 
Bad  ar:  the  weather  was,  we  got  a  good  series  of  observa- 
tions on  the  sun,  while  at  Nulato,  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  14th. 

On  the  ir)th  the  old  familiar  gale  from  ahead  put  in 
its  appeai'anee  as  we  started  in  the  morning,  but  to  every 
body's  great  suri)rise  it  hauled  to  the  rear  in  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  and  when  we  camped  at  8:20  P.  m.,  hav- 
'ig  used  our  jib  in  sailing,  an  Indian  from  a  village  near 
k)y  told  us  the  place  was  called  Kaltag;  so  that  we  had 
made  an  extraordinary  vun  under  all  the  circumstances. 
Indian  villages  were  quite  numerous  during  the  day. 
About  Kaltag  occurs  the  last  point  on  the  river  at  which 
high  gi'ound  comes  down  to  the  water's  edge  on  the  left 
side,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage,  a  distance  of  some 
five  hundred  miles,  precipitous  banks  only  are  found  on 
the  right  side,  while  the  country  to  the  left  resembles 
the  Hat-lands  seen  further  back,  but  the  horizon  is  much 
moi'e  limited  than  that  of  the  flat-lands,  hills  appearing 
in  tlie  background,  which  finally  become  isolated  peaks, 
or  short  broken  ranger.. 

The  morning  of  the  10th  ushered  in  a  heavy  gale  from 
ahead,  accompanied  by  a  deluge  of  showers,  and  as  the 
camp.  57,  was  fortunately  situated  at  a  point  where  all 
the  channels  were  united,  so  tluit  the  river  steamer  could 
not  ])ass  unnoticed,  I  determined  to  remain  over. 

It  would  be  as  tiresome  to  my  readers  as  it  was  aggra- 
vating to  us,  to  repeat  in  detail  the  old  story  of  our  start- 
ing with  a  fair  wind,  its  change  to  a  gale  that  kept  us 
against  the  banks,  and  of  our  passing  a  few  Indian  towns. 


DOWy  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


;?25 


Tliis  continuous  drifting  against  :i  lioad  wind  taught 
us  one  singular  tiling,  however,  viz.  :  that  our  boat  would 
drift  faster  against  this  wind  when  turned  broadside  to 
it  and  exposing  the  greatest  surl'ace  to  its  action,  than 
when  facing  it  bow  or  stern  on  and  with  a  niininium  of 
exposed  surfac^e  ;  this  fact  being  the  very  reverse  of  what 
we  had  supposed,  Indeed,  we  had  endeavored  to  avoid 
this  very  position.  Thereafter  we  kept  the"barka" 
broadside  to  the  head  wind,  a  very  difficult  undertaking, 
which  required  hard  and  constant  work  at  the  steering- 
oar  ;  but  the  mile  or  mile  and  a-half  an  hour  gained  over 
the  vessel's  drift  was  well  worth  it.  I  spoke  of  this  after- 
ward to  the  river  men  and  found  they  had  long  since 
anticipated  me  by  a  much  easier  contrivance,  viz.  :  by 
tying  an  anchor  or  a  large  camp-kettle  full  of  stones  and 
suspending  it  from  the  end  of  tlie  jib-boom  so  that  it 
would  trail  in  the  water.  This  method,  a  number  of  them 
assured  me,  would  have  saved  our  work  at  the  steering 
oar  which  we  rigged  at  the  stern. 

The  18th  and  lOtli  we  fought  our  way  down  the  river, 
inch  by  inch,  against  the  wind.  The  latter  night  the 
storm  culminated  in  a  perfect  hurricane,  felling  trees  in 
the  forest,  hurling  brush  through  the  air,  and  raising 
waves  four  and  liv^  feet  high,  from  whose  crests  thnv 
great  white  masses  of  foam,  the  wide  river  resembling  a 
sheet  of  boiling  milk  in  th(^  darkness.  Although  we  were 
in  a  well-sheltered  cove,  which  had  remained  calm  the 
evening  before,  even  in  the  high  wind,  yet  this  gale  s<mt 
in  such  huge  waves  that  our  "barka"  was  on  the  point 
of  being  wrecked,  and  was  only  saved  by  the  severest 
labor  of  the  crew.  The  little  birch-bark  canoe  was  swept 
from  her  deck  and  thrown  high  up  on  the  beach,  where  it 


[I ' 


■  'I- 

:   t 


326 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


reseml)led  a  mass  of  brown  wrapping  paper  wliicli  the 
storm  had  beaten  down  upon  the  stones.  The  gale  shjwly 
died  down  on  the  2()th,  but  ceased  too  late  to  give  us  a 
chan(!e  to  start,  and  we  remained  ovei'  night,  a  heavy  fog 
and  rain  terminating  tlie  dav. 

On  the  21st  we  saw  a  couple  of  ooinlens^  {hidana, — 
Russian)  or  large  skin-boats  being  luiuled  up  str»>ain  by 
native  dogs  on  the  bank,  somewhat  after  the  fashiijn  of 
canal-liorses  on  a  tow-path.  We  had  baffling  winds  most 
of  the  day,  some  few  of  wliich  we  could  take  advantage 
of,  but  at  G  \\  M.  the  wind  had  settled  down  to  its  regular 
"dead-ahead"  gale. 

We  camped  at  half-past  nine  o'clock  at  Hall's  llapids, 
(named  by  Raymond),  but  found  them  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  to  consist  onlv^ofsome  rough  water  along  tlie  rockv 
beacli,  while  the  high  land  nia])ped  by  him  on  the  south- 
eastei'u  bank  was  wanting.  As  I  said  befoi'e,  the  high 
land  on  the  right  bank  with  low  coiii'.try  \\\)in\  the  left  is 
a  state  of  things  which  continiK^s  until  the  delta  is 
reached,  wIkmi  the  whole  country  becomes  level. 

About  six  or  seven  o'clock  in  the  aft<n'noou  we  were 
passing  the  ujijier  ends  or  entrances,  seven  of  them  alto- 
gether, of  the  Shagelook  slough,  which  here  makes  a 
great  bend  to  the  eas'^wai-d  and  in(,'loses  an  area  larger 
than  some  of  the  N(nv  England  stat«\s  before  it  again 
meets  the  Yukon  River  far  beyond.  This  Shagelook 
slough  receives  the  Innoka  River  in  its  upper  portion  and 
when  the  Yukon  is  the  higher  of  the  two  it  cairies  part 
of  its  waters  into  the  upper  entrances  of  the  slough 
receiving  the  waters  of  the  Tnnoka,  and  both  streams 
emptying  themselves  at  the  slough's  lower  end.  When 
the  Innoka  is  the  higher  its  Avaters  find  an  outlet  into 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


327 


>S 


larger 
again 
Lclook 
bn  and 
[s  part 
ilough 
[reams 
When 
into 


the  Yukon  by  the  upper  mouths.  We  now  began  to  feel 
anxious  about  the  '*  Yukon,"  as  she  was  very  much  over- 
due. From  this  point  she  could  make  St.  Michael's  in 
three  or  four  days,  and  although  we  had  received  official 
assurances  from  Washington  that  the  revenue  cutter 
"Corvvin"  would  not  leave  St.  Michael's  before  the  IHth 
of  September,  yet  there  was  fear  that  the  boat  might 
pass  us  or  the  "Corvvin  "  lind  some  official  emergency  to 
call  her  elsewhere  before  this  date. 

The  night  of  the  21st-22d,  was  a  bitterly  cold  one, 
verging  on  freezing,  and  we  slept  soundly  after  our  loss 
of  sleep  the  night  before.  We  started  quite  early,  how- 
ever, and  a  little  meteorological  suiprise  in  the  shape  of 
a  favorable  wind  came  to  our  aid  after  10  a.  m.,  and  at 
1:;J0  1'.  M.  we  landed  at  the  mouthof  the  Anvic  or  An\  ik. 
The  picturescpiely-situated  trading  station  is  about  a 
mile  or  a  mile  and  a-quarter  above  this  jioiiit.  Imt  the 
shoals  were  so  numerous,  the  channel  so  winding,  that 
this  was  the  nearestpoint  we  could  make.  es])ecially  with 
i\,  foul  wind.  Right  alongside  of  us  was  a  large  Indian 
village,  where  we  learned  to  our  satisfaction  that  the 
"  Yukon  "  had  not  yet  passed  ;  for  one  of  the  l)arty  at  our 
last  camp  had  interpreted  some  Indian  information 
to  mean  that  the  boat  had  passed  down  two  days 
before. 

From  this  place  I  sent  a  courier  to  St.  Michael's,  who 
was  to  ascend  the  Anvik  River  to  the  head  of  canoe  navi- 
gation, and  thence  to  make  a  short  portage  to  a  stream 
emptying  near  the  post,  the  entire  distance  being  readily 
covered  in  three  days,  or  in  two  if  sufficient  energy  is 
displayed.  He  promised  to  be  there  without  fail  in  three 
days,  i.  e.,  by  the  25th,  and  I  paid  him  a  little  extra  for 


i 


li'-'. 

m 


m 


: 


m 


h'.  ■  I 


r   t 


I 
ill, 


,!l       ill 


lliiiiljiill 


II 


lij 


:}28 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


the  extra  exertion.  ITe  arrived  about  a  week  after  I  did 
and  we  were  ten  (lavs  in  j-eachinu;  St.  Miehaer.s  from  thia 
point.  My  objeet  was  to  let  tlie  "Corwin"  know  that 
my  party  was  coming-.  The  ''Leo,''  an  Alaskan  trading 
schoonei",  was  also  expected  to  toueh  at  St.  Miehael's  to 
exchanuje  some  signal  officers,  and  I  sent  word  to  her,  re- 
questing her  to  wait  lor  us  if  the  *'  Corwin  "  liad  gone.  Mr. 
Fredericksen  was  the  trader,  and  a  very  intelligent  per- 
son for  such  a  lonely  and  outlandish  spot.  lie  had  been 
furnished  with  meteorological  instruments  by  the  Signal 
Service,  to  which  he  made  regular  reports.  He  informed 
me  that  he  has  seen  ice  of  such  dt^pth  by  the  4tli  of  Se])- 
temher  as  to  cut  the  thick  covering  of  a  hidarra  or 
oomiot  ;  but  this,  of  course,  is  very  nnusual.  The  year 
beft)re  our  arrival — 1HH2 — the  ice  did  not  form  until  the 
12th  of  October,  antl  the  iirst  of  that  month  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  average  date  of  its  formation. 

Mr.  Fredericksen  warmly  welcomed  my  arrival  at  his 
station,  having  recently  had  some  serious  trouble  with 
the  Indians,  who  were  not  even  yet  quieted.  A  number 
of  Shagelooks,  as  he  termed  them,  had  come  down  the 
river,  a  short  time  before,  to  meet  the  Cli'eek  priest  from 
the  mission  at  Ikogmute,  who  had  come  to  Anvik  in  or- 
der to  baptize  them.  While  the  Shagelooks  were  wait- 
ing for  the  priest,  they  arranged  a  plot  to  rob  the  trader. 
Some  one  or  two  of  them  were  to  provoke  him  in  some 
exasperating  way,  and  if  he  showed  any  resistance  or 
even  annoyance,  the  others  were  to  side  with  their  fel- 
lows, seize  the  trader  and  secure  him  until  his  store  was 
plundered  and  the  booty  removed,  when  he  was  to  be 
liberated,  or  murdered  if  aggressive.  In  some  way  the 
Anviks  got  an  inkling  of  the  plot,  and  prejiared  to  side 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AXD  HOME. 


;}-il) 


'ter  I  (lid 
roui  thia 
low  that 
L  trii(lin,g 
liacl's  to 
J  her,  re- 
coup. Ml', 
'viit  per- 
lijui  been 
le  Signal 
informed 
li  of  Sep- 
'larra  or 
Tlie  year 
until  the 
ly  be  re- 
al at  his 
3le  with 
number 
own  the 
>st  from 
ik  in  or- 
re  wait- 
le  trader, 
in  some 
tance  or 
heir  fel- 
ore  was 
IS  to  be 
way  the 
to  side 


with  Mr.  Frederii'kseii,  and  when  tliei)reliminaiies  roni- 
menred  witli  the  cuttiiig  open  of  one  of  llie  liadei-'s 
finest  skin-l)oats — hiddira — the  Shagelooks  saw  them- 
selves confronted  bvsucli  an  an-av  of  well-armed  An  vil\  In- 
<lians,  tliJitthey  werepei-fectly  satislied  to  h't  the  business 
droj).  The  christening  was  cari'ied  out  according  to  ju'o- 
gramnie,  but  the  l);ifHed  Shagelooks  vowed  vt'Ugeance  on 
both  the  Anviks  and  tin;  trach'r  wheiieveranopportunity 
might  occur,  and  they  were  not  reticent  in  so  infoiniiug 
him  at  their  departuie,  hinting  that  llieii-  turn  might 
come  when  the  Anviks  left  to  hunt  leindeer  for  th«'ir 
winter  suiii)ly  of  clothing.  That  season  wcndd  soon  be 
ivt  hand,  and  the  Anviks  had  the  alternative  of  losing 
their  uiitumn  hunting  or  of  leaving  the  station  in  ;i 
weakened  condition  at  their  (h'partuic.  The  arrival  of 
a  body  of  troops,  small  in  nund)er  as  we  were,  was  a 
canse  of  congratulation,  and  !Mr.  Fiederickson  iniended 
to  make  the  most  out  of  it  with  discontented  natives  by 
way  of  strengthening  his  position. 

We  conld  do  absolutely  nothing  for  him.  AVhen  the 
president  withdrew  the  military  foices  from  Alaska,  the 
executive  order  had  '"clinched"  the  act  by  i)roviding  that 
the  military  should  exercise  no  further  c(mtrol  whatever 
in  that  vast  territory,  and  niv  orders  had  emi)hatically 
repeated  the  clause.  In  fact,  it  was  a  debatable  jjoint 
whether  my  expediti(m  was  not  strictly  an  illegal  one, 
and  in  direct  violation  of  the  president's  order.  sinc(^  it 
was  simply  impossible  to  send  in  a  nulitary  party  that 
might  not  exercise  control  over  its  own  members,  which 
is  all  that  soldiers  eyer  do  without  an  order  from  the 
president,  and  as  to  an  attack  by  Indians  we  had  the 
universal  right  of  self-preservation.     I  told  Mi'.  Freder- 


m 


'MO 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  (JUL AT  JilVLJi. 


ick.s«'n,  however,  to  luakc  the  most  oiitof  my  visit,  wliicfi 
I  siii)pose  h(}  (lid. 

A  foresail  Avas  bonowt'd  from  liim,  witli  wiiicli  1  could 
mak»!  my  Avay  fiom  tlui  mouth  of  the  river  to  St.Mi(;lia«'l's, 
slioidd  any  iiccich'iit  have  happem'd  to  the  "  Yukon,"  It 
was  too  hirge  tuid  would  liave  to  be  (!ut  to  tit,  an  expe- 


ANVIK. 

(Looking  down  both  the  Yukon  and  Anvik  Rivers.) 

dient  to  which  1  did  not  intend  to  resort  nntil  we  reached 
the  moiitli  of  tiu^  I'ivei", 

Ml'.  Fredei'icksen's  station  is  on  tlie  banlvs  of  botli  the 
Yukon  and  tlie  Anvik,  as  th<i  streams  apjtroach  within 
about  iifty  or  seventy-live  yaids  of  each  otlier  at  this 
point,  altlu>ugli  tlieii'  confluence  occurs,  as  1  have  said, 
about  a  mile  below.  The  illustration  above  is  from 
the  station  looking  toward  the  point  of  oontluen(^e. 
AVhen  the  present  trader  tirst  came  to  the  station  a  few 


it,  wliicfi 

1»  1  could 
riclijicrs, 
ton."  It 
an  exim- 


r«ni('lied 

)otli  the 
witliin 
at  this 
ve  said, 
s  from 
liieiioe. 
n  a  t'ow 


DOWX  THE'  RIVER  AXD  HOME. 


.131 


yt^jirs  ])i'«'\  ioMsly,  the  two  rivcM's  wcic  fai'  ii)>ar1  at  this 
point,  l>iil  the  Anvik  has  rnd'oaciicd  s(»  laru'cly  upon  its 
left  bank  that  Mi-.  I'^'cdcrickscn  rxpccttMl  an(tllitr  year 
to  Miiitc. the  streams  at  Ills  place,  if  t!i<'  Anvik  <li(l  not 
actnally  sweep  liiin  away  oi'  Toice  liini  to  change  liis 
lesith'nce. 

Anvik  is  tlie  last  station  in  the  Indian  connti'y.  and  at 
Mak.i.iA'aninte,  tliii'ly  or  l'<»rty  miles  Ix  low,  the  Eskimo 
l)e,ii:in  to  a[»pe:ii'.  and  continne  l'i'(»in  that  point  to  the 
month  of  the  liver. 

We  started  anain  on  the  12'M,  willi  a  hne  hreeze  l)e|iind 
ns,  passini>'  Makauamnte  or  moo/  (proin)nnced  lik<'  hoot, 
.shoot),  at  l:;50i'.  M.  It  was  composed  ot'eii;ht  or  ten 
honses  of  a  most  snhstantial  bnild.  Ilaid\ed  and  hacked 
1)V  fifteen  to  twent\w/r//r.s',  and  h;id  altoiict  her  a  most 
pros[)erons  ap[)eai'an<'e,  impressing'  a  stiangei*  with  the 
•snperioi'itv  of  tiie  Kskiino  over  tlieii-  neiuhhors.  Tlio 
<h)oi's  were  sin^nlai'  little  circnlar  or  lonnded  lioles,  very 
like  exaiii'u'era ted  specimens  of  the  cotta,u'e  hiiwjdionses, 
whicli  some  people  erect  foi"  theii"  feathered  friends. 
\'^illa,i;;es  wer<'  mncli  moi'e  innnei'ons  on  the  ;2l>d.  than 
npon  Jiny  previons  day  (d'  onr  voyau'e.  Everywhere 
niiu-ht  be  seen  tlieii'  ti'aps  and  nets  for  catchinic  salmcm, 
f>f  which  lish  they  mnst ca])tiii'<>  enormons  qnantities.  for 
they  live  n]M>n  salmon  tlie  y<'ar  lonnd. 

Myriads  of  o-eese  nn.ahl  be  observed  in  all  dii'ections 
dni'inii:  tins  line  weath' v.  ])rei)arin;j:  and  mobilizing;  for 
their  antnmnal  omiijration  to  the  sontli  ;  and  the  nir 
was  vocal  with  theii*  cries. 

On  the  ni<;ht  of  the  2;?d  we  had  a  severe  frost,  the 
heavy  sed,c;e  f?rass  near  camp  beinii;  literally  white  with 
it,  and  the  cook  was  lieard  f^rnmbling  abont  the  con- 


I 


::if 

m 


i,^ 

■     :               n 

i 

1   i   '  ; 

1 

■■"'            1 

1':   ■     ' 

[              1      > 

1' 

1:1,  I 


I  ■ 


'V 


n 


n 


r 


332 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


dition  of  his  dishelotli,  which  was  about  as  fl«'xibh»  as  a 
battrifHl  milli.-i)an,  until  tliaw<Ml  out  by  means  of  hot 
water.  The  f(!W  niusquitoes  we  saw  next  morning  were 
l»itiable  looking  creatures,  altliough  1  «loubt  very  nnu.'li 
whetlier  any  sentiment  was  wasted  on  them.  However 
mucii  tiio  cold  sjK'll  threaten<'d  to  hasten  the  ari'ival  of 
winter,  and  to  send  the  ships  at  St.  Michael's  living' 
south,  yet  the  discomfiture  of  the  mosquitoes  aifoi'ded  us 
a  good  deal  of  consolation,  and  thereafter  our  annoy- 
ances from  this  source  were  but  trifling, 

Starting  at  8  a.m.  with  a  heatl  breeze,  by  ten  o'clock 
the  wind  had  b(M!oine  a  gale  and  we  wei-e  scaicely  making 
half  a  ndle  an  houi',  when  at  i?:;2()  p.m.  Ave  Siiw  the 
steamer  "Yukon,"  with  the  St.  Michael's  in  tow,  coming 
I'oiind  ;i  liigh  precipitous  point  about  three  nnles  abaft 
of  us,  and  there  went  up  a  shout  "'  welcome  from  our 
boat  that  drowned  even  the  voice  ^  gale,  and  almost 

simultaneously  the  flash  of  a  dozen  guns  went  up  fioni 
both  the  ""  Yidvon's"  decks  and  our  own.  The  i)()int 
around  which  the  steamer  had  been  sighted,  ti  C(m- 
s])icuouslandmark,  T  named  Petersen  Point,  afterCai)tain 
Petersen  of  the  "  Yukon."  that  being  the  only  name  I 
gave  on  the  river  below  old  Foit  Yukon.  Tn  about  half- 
an-hour  the  steamei-  was  alongside  and  we  were  taken  in 
tow,  and  once  more  began  cleaving  the  water,  in  defiance 
of  the  gale. 

The  captain  kneAv  Ave  had  started  from  Anvik  the  day 
before,  but  our  i)rogress  on  the  first  day  liad  been  so 
great  that  he  had  become  uneasy  for  fear  he  might  have 
passed  us.  He  had  kept  the  AAiiistle  going  at  frequent 
interA'als,  but  of  course  kneAv  that  it  could  not  be  heard 
fai'  in   such  a  gale.     If  we  had  not  yet  reached  the 


JJOWX  TIIK  lilVEli  AM)  HOME. 


:i3a 


xiblt'  as  a 
lis  of  liot 
ling"  wem 
«M  y  iiiucli 
Ilowt'ver 
arrival  of 
^I's  living- 
Voi'dcd  us 
ir  annoy - 

n  o'clock 
y  iiiakin<^- 
Siiw  the 
v,  con  ling- 
ilcs  abaft 
from  our 
(I  almost 

up  fl'OlU 

ic  point 
11  con- 
Cai)tain 
name  I 
.ut  half- 
akeii  in 
defiance 

the  day 
been  so 
:ht  liave 
requent 
e  heard 
led  the 


Mission  when  he  arrived   there,    lie  intended  to  refnrn 
foi'  us. 

We  made  the  ^lission  that  eveiiiiii;-  at  the  iii)i>er  or 
"opposition"  store,  which  was  beinn-  torn  down,  and 
the  best  lo^'s  of  which  wei'e  to  ^o  on  board  tlM'  rivei* 
steanifc  •  to  be  taken  to  Andrea vskv,  the  tradinu-  station 
kei)t  by  Captain  Petersen  when  not  in  <'har;ie  of  the 
boat. 

By  next  morriniL?  at  nine  o'clock  w(!  had  these  securely 
hished  to  the  sides  and  were  underway,  stopping  three 
miles  below  at  the  Mission  i)roper.  Here  is  an  old  (iieek 
chnrch,  i)resided  over  by  a  half-breed  i)riest.  which 
looked  strang'ely  enou<j;h  in  this  far-away  corner  of  the 
world.  The  interior  was  fitted  npwith  all  the  oinaments 
cnstomary  in  the  (Ireek  church,  the  solid  silvei-  and 
brass  of  moi'e  stately  structures  in  Kussia  bein^-  re])ro- 
duced  in  tinsel  and  trapi)inus  of  a  cheaper  kind.  The 
Greek  lU'iest  is  also  the  Alaska  Company's  trader.  an<l 
lie  came  al)oard  to  go  to  St.  Michael's  to  u'et  a  winter's 
supply  of  tradini;'  material  I'or  his  store.  His  handsome 
little  sloop  was  tied  behind  the  big  "barka"  to  be 
towed  along,  while  from  its  stern  the  lim  ran  to  the 
sloop's  yawl,  in  Avhich  an  Indian  had  been  allowed  to 
come,  he  tying  his  little  skin  canoe  behind  the  yawl,  thus 
making  a  queue  of  vessels  of  ra])idly  diminishing 
sizes,  quite  ludicrous  in  ap])earance.  AVitli  the  St. 
Michael's  ahmgside  in  tow,  and  our  guards  jnled  with 
hewn  logs  as  far  as  the  upi)er  deck,  we  Avere  a  motley 
crow^d  indeed  when  under  way.  The  captain  exi)lained 
his  unusual  delay  on  the  trip  by  the  fact  that  the 
"Yukon"  had  blown  out  a  cylinder-head  Just  after  leav- 
ing St.  Michael's  Bar  and  while  trvinii'  U)  make  Belle  Isle, 


iV: 


!  t 


'i, 

f.„ 

m 

i;:l 


I'iiiitei!: 


334 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


for  which  reason  thoir  returr  oyage  had  to  be  made 
under  reduced  steam  in  order  to  avoid  a  repetition  of  the 
accident. 

A  serio-comic  incident  connected  "vvith  this  mishap 
deserves  to  be  recounted.  Among  their  Eskimo  deck- 
h;'nds  was  a  powej-ful  young  fellow,  deaf  as  a  post,  wlio 
always  slept  in  the  engine-room  when  off  duty,  with  his 
head  resting  on  a  huge  cross  deck-beam  as  a  ])illow,  at  a 
point  in  front  of  tiie  engine  that  had  broken  down. 
Whenever  he  v.^as  wanted,  as  there  was  no  use  in  calling 
him,  they  would  walk  up  and  tap  him  wiih  tlie  foot,  or, 
as  they  soon  learned,  a  stout  kick  on  any  ])art  o(  the. 
Li  m  would  suffice  ;  whereupon  he  would  sit  n\>.  give 
a  great  yawn,  stretch  his  arms  and  be  ready  for  work. 
When  the  cylinder-head  of  the  engine  blew  out,  it  struck 
the  beam  directly  opposite  his  own  head,  and  burit^l 
j'-self  until  the  spot  looked  afterward  as  though  a  chain- 
shot  had  struck  it;  but  with  no  more  effect  on  the  deaf 
fisivimo  than  to  nudve  him  rise  np  and  yawn,  and  begin 
to  stretch  himself,  wheTi  the  rush  of  steam  from  the  next 
stroke  of  the  engine  completely  enveloped  him,  bef(>''e 
the  engineer  co'ild  interfere,  and  he  comprehended  that 
he  was  not  being  awakened  to  go  to  work.  He  got  off 
with  a  trilling  scald  on  the  l»ack  of  Ids  neck;  but  his 
escape  from  death  seemed  mii-acnlous. 

All  that  da}^  we  stopped  al)oui  every  couple  of  hours 
to  take  on  wood,  which  fortunately  had  been  cut  for  us 
b^^forehand  in  most  places,  so  iliat  the  delays  were  not 
very  long.  In  ascc^nding  or  descending  the  river,  the 
steamer  finds  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  wood  it 
reqinres  already  cut  at  convenient  points,  the  natives 
of  course  being  paid  for  their  labor.      This  is  the  case 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


335 


be  made 
ion  of  the 

i   mishap 
mo  (leck- 
)ost,  wlio 
with  liis 
How,  at  a 
en  down, 
in  calling 
I  foot,  or, 
Li't  o(  the 
n\).  give 
oi'  wo»"k. 
it  struck 
d  buried 
a  chain- 
he  dent 
nd  begin 
]he  next 
,  bef(»re 
ed  that 
e  got  of! 
)ut  his 

f  hours 
t  for  us 
ei-e  not 
ver,  the 
vood  it 
natives 
he  case 


between  the  river's  mouth  and  Nuklakayet,  or  there- 
abouts, but  above  this  i:)oint,  and  even  at  many  i)laces 
below  it  the  (uiptain  is  obliged  to  go  aslioie  near  a 
grejvt  pile  of  drift-wood,  and  send  a  dozeu  axnien  to  do 
tliis  duty.  The  greater  part  of  the  huge  stockade  of  old 
Fort  Yukon  and  some  of  its  minor  buildings  have  for 
several  j^ears  supplied  them  with  wood  when  in  the 
neigliborliocd.  We  stopped  the  night  of  th(^  ^."jith  near 
a  native  village,  and  as  we  were  to  start  vervearlv  in  the 
morning,  the  doctor  and  myself,  at  the  captain's  invita- 
tion, made  our  beds  under  the  table,  on  the  dining-room 
iioor  of  the  steamer,  that  being  the  first  time  we  had 
slept  under  a  roof  since  leaving  Chilkat  ;  although  the 
doctor  made  some  irrelevant  remarks  about  a  table  not 
being  a  roof,  evidently  wanting  to  extend  back  the 
period  of  our  claim. 

On  the  20th,  running  about  twelve  hours,  less  our  timo 
at  "wooding"  i)laces,  we  made  Andreavsky,  and  nejirly 
the  whole  of  the  next  day  was  spent  in  unloading  the 
logs,  mooring  the  St.  Michael's  in  winter  cpiarters,  and 
washing  down  decks,  for  it  was  to  this  point  that  the 
"Yukon"  would  return  for  the  winter  after  making  St. 
Michael's.  The  hills  of  the  right  bank  rajjidly  dimin- 
ish in  height  as  one  approaches  Andreavsky,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  that  place  are  only  entitled  to  the  name  of 
high  rolling  ^^round.  Near  the  i-iver  the  trees  disappear 
and  are  r  placed  by  willow-brake,  although  the  up- 
stream ends  of  the  numerous  islands  are  still  covered 
with  great  masses  of  drift  timber,  containing  logs  of  the 
largest  dimensions.  Before  Andj-eavsky  is  reached  w^e 
come  to  the  delta  of  the  Yukon,  an  interminable  con- 
course of  islands  and  channels  never  yet  fully  explored. 


SIU  M 


I 


1 


I  ; 
1  , 


I  w 


^i■ 


i:l 


iii! 


!  1- 


t 


iii:' 


"W 


w 


ill-;:'  I  -1 


I:    . 


:::l 


ii 


1     ;ll  i] 


ii:'l 


fi'!"!' 


^1l!:ll!!' 


!li;Wi! 


l!!:ii' 


336 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


From  the  most  northerly  of  these  mouths  to  the  most 
southerly  is  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles,  according 
to  local  computation. 

Late  as  it  was  when  we  started  on  the  27th,  we  reached 
a  point  half  way  to  Coatlik,  where  wood  was  cut  by 
our  crew  for  the  morning's  start.  All  semblance  of 
rolling  country  had  now  disapi)eared,  except  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  the  country  was  as  flat  as  the  lower  delta  of 
the  Mississippi. 

Coatlik,  seven  miles  f i-om  the  Aphoon  or  northernmost 
mouth,  was  reached  next  day  at  1  r.  :\r.,  and  we  spent 
the  afternoon  in  preparing  the  boilers  for  the  change  to 
salt  water,  and  in  taking  on  another  log  house,  which 
was  to  be  transported  to  St.  Michael's,  there  to  be  used 
in  completing  a  Greek  church  in  course  of  erection. 

Starting  at  early  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  29th, 
a  steam-valve  blew  out,  and  it  looked  as  if  we  should  be 
delayed  two  or  three  days  for  repairs,  but  the  cai)tain 
fixed  up  an  ingenious  contrivance  with  a  jack-screw  as 
a  substit  ute,  and  at  half-past  nine  in  the  morning  we 
ag:;in  proceeded.  Soon  afterward  we  reached  the 
Ai)hoon  uioutli  of  the  river,  where  we  commenced  the 
sjow  and  tedioiis  threading  of  its  shallow  channels  be- 
tween their  mud  banks.  For  untold  ages  this  swift, 
nuiddy  river  has  deposited  its  sediment  upon  the  shallow 
eastern  shores  of  Bering's  Sea,  until  mud  and  sand  banks 
have  been  t'lrown  u])  for  seventy  or  eighty  miles  beyond 
the  delta,  making  it  unsafe  for  vessels  of  any  draft  to 
cross  them  even  in  moderate  weather.  St.  Michael's  is 
the  nearest  port  to  the  mouth  at  which  vessels  of  any 
size  can  enter  and  anchor.  Tlie  heavy  wind  still  raging 
made  it  difficult  to  steer  the  boat  through  the  winding 


le  most 
cording 


readied 
cut  })y 
ance  of 
tlie  dis- 
lelta  of 

ernniost 
e  spent 
lange  to 
;,  wliicli 
be  used 
Dn. 

le  29tli, 

ould  be 

captain 

['^e^v  as 

ling  Ave 

ed    the 

•ed  the 

els  l)e- 

SAvift, 

lallow 

banks 

beyond 

raft  to 

ael's  is 

of  any 

raging 

inding 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


337 


channels,  and  this,  coupled  with  the  heavy  load  of  logs 
that  weiglKMl  us  to  the  guaids,  sent  us  a  dozen  times  on 
the  low  mud  Hats,  to  escape  from  which  gave  us  much 
trouble.  Our  delay  at  Coatlik  had  also  lost  ns  some 
of  the  tide,  there  being  about  two  feet  of  water  on  the 
bar  at  ebb  and  nearly  as  nuu'h  more  at  flood  tide  So 
shallow  is  the  stream  that  the  channel  is  indicated  by 
willow  canes  stuck  In  the  mud,  at  convenient  intervals, 
serving  the  jjurpose  of  buoys.  Near  th(^  Aphoon  mouth 
comes  in  the  Pastolik  River,  and  (mce  across  the  bar  of 
mud  near  the  confluence,  the  channel  of  the  latter 
stream  is  followed  to  deep  water.  This  muddy  sedi- 
ment is  very  light  and  easily  stirred  up,  and  when  a 
storm  is  raging  the  whole  sea  .as  far  as  the  (n'e  can 
reach  resembles  an  angry  lake  of  mud.  From  th  Pas- 
tolik  River  on,  the  Avesterly  wind  gradually  iiu'reased 
to  a  gale,  the  sea  running  very  high  and  making  many 
of  us  quite  sea -sick.  F'aring  to  round  Point  Romaut- 
zoff,  the  "nptain  put  ba(;k  and  anchored  in  a  sonu^wliat 
sheltered  ••■•ve.  returuing  about  IkiH'  way  to  the  Pasto- 
lik. A  tlat-bottoMH'd  river  boat  aucliored  in  r>ei'ing's 
Sea  during  a  gah>,  le  i(le(l  with  a  log-house  and  towing  a 
number  of  craft,  certainly  did  not  seem  a  very  sale  abid- 
ing place. 

Early  on  the  morning  oi  the  ;50th  we  a"ot  under  wav. 
the  weather  having  moderated  considerably  during  the 
night,  and  constantly  improviit,  as  we  proceeded.  "We 
rounded  Cape  RomantzolT  a  out  the  middle  of  the  fore- 
noon, and  as  we  passed  between  Stuart  and  St.  Michael's 
Islands,  shortly  before  noon,  nothing  was  left  of  yester- 
day's angry  sea  but  a  few  long  ground- swells,  which  dis- 
turbed us  but  little.     At  noon  we  rounded  the  point  that 


II 


'.'■     •! 


■li  , 


lii' 


if!:-' 


s'.ii 


m 


if; 


I'ii 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 

hid  the  little  village  of  St.  Michael's,  and.  were  received 
by  a  salute  of  three  discharges  from  as  many  ancient 
Russian  carronades,  to  which  we  responded  vigorously 
with  the  whistle.  All  eyes  swept  the  bay  for  signs  of 
the  "Cor win,"  but  a  boat  putting  off  from  shore  told  us 
that  she  had  left  on  the  10th  of  August,  nearly  three 
weeks  before. 

The  "Leo,"  which  was  due  about  the  15th  of  the  month, 
had  not  yet  arrived,  and  although  it  was  known  that 
she  liad  a  signal  observer  on  board  to  take  the  i^hice  of 
the  one  now  at  St.  Michael's,  it  was  not  positive  that  she 
would  arrive  there  at  all,  if  hampered  with  heavy  gales. 
She  had  been  chartered  by  the  government  to  proceed  to 
Point  ]3arrow,  on  the  Arctic  coast  of  Alaska,  and  take 
on  board  Lieutenant  Ray's  party  of  the  International 
Meteorological  Station  at  that  point,  and  it  A\as  not 
altogether  certain  that  she  might  not  have  been  Avrecked 
in  the  ice  while  engjiged  in  this  somewhat  hazardous 
undertaking ;  the  chances  varying  considerably  each 
season  according  to  the  state  of  the  ice  and  the  weather. 
The  state  of  the  latter  nnght  be  inferred  from  the  fact 
that  the  dav  of  our  arrival  was  the  iirst  fine  one  they  had 
had  at  the  redoubt  (as  St.  Michael's  is  called  here  and  in 
the  Yukon  valley),  for  over  six  weeks,  during  which 
there  had  bef'u  an  almost  continuous  storm. 

There  was  also  a  vessel,  the  ''Alaska,"  at  Golovnin  Bay, 
about  sixty  miles  north  of  St.  Michael's,  across  ^N'orton 
Sound,  which  was  loading  with  silver  ore  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  was  expected  to  depart  about  the  1st  of 
October.  It  was  possible  that  she  might  call  here,  m 
route.,  as  the  mining  C(  ini)any  to  Avhich  she  belonged  had 
a  considerable  quantity  of  material  stored  at  this  point. 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


33i) 


11  Bnv, 
'oi'ton 
Fraii- 

Lst  of 
Y^,  en 
'd  had 


The  evening  of  the  30th  we  spent  at  a  daiicc^  in  the 
Eskimo  vilkige  near  by,  after  which  we  went  on  board 
tlie  "  Yukon  "  to  sleep,  whicli  however  was  almost  imi)os- 
sible  on  account  of  tlie  boat's  heavy  rolling  while  at 
anclior. 

I  was  a  little  surprised  to  find  that  I  could  cany  on 
even  a  very  limited  conversation  with  the  Eskimo  of  this 
locality,  the  last  of  that  tribe  I  had  lived  among  being 
the  natives  of  the  north  Hudson's  Bay  regions,  of  whose 
existence  these  Eskimo  knew  nothing. 

On  the  31st  I  sent  a  couple  of  Eskimo  couriers  to  the 
"Alaska"  at  Golovnin  Bay,  asking  her  to  call  at  this 
port  in  order  to  take  my  party  on  boaid,  after  which  T 
sat  down  to  await  results.  Meantime  we  had  moved  on 
shore  into  Mr.  Leavitt's  house,  whicli  was  kindly  i)nt  at 
our  disi:)osal.  Mr.  Leavitt  was  the  signal  ol)sei'vei'.  and 
had  been  stationed  here  over  tlii'ee  years,  and  he  was  as 
anxiously  awaiting  ''!io  arrival  of  the  "Leo"  as  our- 
selves. 

St.  Michael's,  Michaelovski,  or  "the  redoubt."  as  it  is 
vai'iously  called — St.  Michael's  Redoul)t  being  theollicial 
Russian  title,  translated  into  English — is  a  little  village 
on  an  island  of  tlie  same  name,  comprising  about  a  dozen 
houses,  all  directly  or  indirectly  devoted  to  the  affairs 
of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company.  Mr.  Neumann 
was  the  superintendent,  and  a  very  agreeable  and  affable 
gentleman  we  found  him,  doing  much  to  make  our  short 
.itay  at  the  redoubt  pleasant.  There  are  no  fresh  water 
springs  on  the  island  near  the  post,  and  every  few  days 
a  large  row-boat  is  loaded  with  water-barrels  and  taken 
to  the  mainland,  where  four  or  five  days'  sui)ply  is 
secured.     The   "opposition"   store,  three  miles  across 


:>< 


V 


¥rl      i 


U'-. 


1  il 


Hi 


nil; 


1  :;! 


i  ! 


l! 


liSl'illi!;;' 


l;ill:';; 


340 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lUVEE. 


the  bay,  seems  much  better  situated  in  this  and  other 
respects,  but  when  St.  Micliael's  was  selected  by  the 
Russians  over  a  third  of  a  century  i)revious]y,  the  idea 
of  defensibility  Avas  the  controUin^z;  motive.  Tlie  passage 
between  the  ishind  and  tlie  mainland  is  a  river-like 
channel,  and  was  formerly  used  by  the  river  steamer 
until  Captain  Petersen  became  master,  when  he  boldly 
put  out  to  sea,  as  a  preferable  route  to  "  the  slough,"  as 
it  is  sometimes  called,  there  being  a  number  of  danger- 
ous rocks  in  the  latter. 

On  the  evening  of  the  31st  we  again  visited  the  Eskimo 
village,  in  company  with  most  of  the  white  men  of  the 
redoubt,  in  order  to  see  the  performance  of  a  noted 
"medicine-man"  or  shaman  from  the  Golovnin  Bay 
district,  lie  Avas  to  show  us  some  savage  sleight-of-hand 
performances,  and  to  foretell  the  probability  and  time 
of  the  ' '  Leo' s ' '  arrival.  In  the  latter  operation  he  took  a 
large  blue  bead  and  crushing  it  to  fragments  threw  it  out 
of  doors  into  the  sea,  "sending  it  to  the  schooner,"  as 
he  said.  After  a  long  and  tiresome  rigmarole,  another 
blue  bead  was  produced  which  he  aflirmed  to  be  the  same 
one,  telling  us  that  it  had  been  to  the  vessel,  and  by 
returning  whole  testified  her  safety.  A  somewhat  similar 
performance  with  a  quarter  of  a  silver  dollartold  him  that 
the  "Leo"  Avould  arrive  at  St.  Michael's  about  the  next 
new  moon.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  about  these 
tricks  ;  and  another  of  tying  his  hands  behind  him  to  a 
heavy  i)lank,  and  then  bringing  them  to  the  front  of  his 
body,  and  lifting  the  board  from  the  floor  of  the  medicine 
house,  was  such  a  palpable  deception  as  to  puzzle  no  one. 

This  polar  priest,  however,  had  a  great  reputation 
among  the  natives  all  about  Norton  Sound.     He  had 


::'?il 


DOWN  THE  EIVEE  AND  HOME. 


341 


predicted  the  loss  of  the  Jcaanctle  and  tlie  consequent 
deiith  of  the  two  Eskimo  from  this  point.  For  his  favoiiible 
news  Mr.  Neumann  rewarded  him  with  a  sack  of  tioui* ; 
and  I  suppose  lie  would  have  been  perfectly  willing  to 
furnish  more  <^ood  news  for  more  Hour. 

The  next  day  I  took  a  genuine  Russian  bath  in  a  house 
erected  many  years  ago  for  that  purpose  by  the  Russians. 
It  may  be  more  cleansing,  but  it  is  less  comfortable  than 
the  counterfeit  Russian  bath  as  administered  in  American 
cities. 

The  2d  of  September  was  the  warmest  day  th<»y  had 
had  that  summer,  the  thermometer  nuirking  (55°  Fa]ir«'n- 
heit.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  "Yukon ' '  set  out  on  her 
return  to  Andreavsky  amidst  a  salute  from  the  carron- 
ades  and  the  screaming  of  the  steam- whistle. 

On  the  8d  my  Golovnin  Bay  couriers,  who  I  su]iposed 
had  started  on  the  preceding  dny,  and  wei-e  then  forty 
or  fifty  miles  away  on  their  jour  i<^»y,  came  nonchahnitly 
to  me  and  reported  their  deiiariure.  I  bade  them 
good-by,  and  tohl  them  not  to  delay  on  the  idea  that  I 
Vvanted  the  "Alaska"  next  year  and  not  this,  and 
promising  me  seriously  to  remember  this,  they  d<'i)arted. 
The  next  u,iy — the 4th — they  returned,  having  foi-goiten 
their  su^iar,  an  article  of  luxury  thev  had  not  en  loved  for 
months  previously,  and  again  departed.  I  expected  to 
see  them  return  in  t.  >  or  three  days  for  a  string  to  tie 
it  up  with,  but  their  outiit  mu^^.t  have  been  complete  this 
time,  for  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  them  again  ;  but  I  could 
not  help  thinking  what  valuable  messenger  service  the 
telegraph  companies  were  losing  in  this  far-away  country. 

Sure  enough,  on  the  8th  of  the  month  the  "  Leo  "  bore 
down  in  a  gale  and  was  soon  anchored  in  the  bay,  where 


I 


I    ?T"f7 


!=!ll 


1 


!i  HI  In  ; 


iM 


It}!'! 


I 

!■  ■  ■; ' 


I  ■! 


•|i'    'ir' 


i  it        t 

jti'  ; 


i|::!: 


'll||Pll:i^:!|: 


mm 


!:i;;|fii!^ 


"ill 


342 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVEIL 


we  boarded  her.  Altliough  already  overcrowded  for  a 
little  schooner  of  about  two  hundred  tons,  Lieutenant 
Ray  kindly  made  room  for  my  additional  party,  there 
being  by  this  addition  about  thirty-five  on  board  and 
seventeen  in  the  little  cabin.  While  trying  to  make 
Point  Barrow,  the  ''Leo"  had  been  nijiped  in  the  ice  and 
had  her  stem  split  and  started,  sustaining  other  injuries 
the  extent  of  which  could  not  be  ascertained.  She  was 
leaking  badly,  requiring  about  five  or  ten  minutes  at  the 
pumps  evei'y  hour,  but  it  was  intended  to  try  and  make 
San  Fi'ancisco,  unless  the  leaking  increased  in  a  gale, 
when  she  Avasto  be  repaii'ed  at  Oonalaska,  and  if  mat- 
ters came  to  the  worst  she  would  be  condemned. 

A  few  days  were  speni:  in  (chatting  of  our  experiences, 
getting  fresh  water  on  board  and  exchanging  signal 
observers,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  at  G  a.:m., 
under  a  salute  of  six  guns,  we  weighed  anchor  and 
started,  with  a  strong  head  wind  that  kept  constantly 
increasing.  This  gale  was  from  the  north-west,  and  as 
we  had  to  beat  a  long  distance  in  that  direction  in  order 
to  clear  the  gi-eat  mud  banks  off  the  delta  of  the  Yukon, 
so  little  progress  was  made  that  after  an  all  day's  fight 
we  ran  baclv  to  St.  ^lichael's  in  an  hour's  time  and 
dropped  anchor  once  more,  to  await  Ji  change  in  the 
weather.  Next  day  we  got  away  early  and  managed  to 
beat  a  little  on  our  course.  The  IJJth  gave  us  an  almost 
dead  calm  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  caught  a 
fine  breeze  abaft  and  rounded  the  Yukon  banks  about 
midnight.  This  favorable  breeze  increased  to  a  light 
gale  next  day  and  we  pounded  along  at  the  rate  of  ten 
or  eleven  knots  an  hour. 

On  the  15th  the  gale  continued  and  so  increased  the 


K 


led  for  a 
ieutenant 
'ty,  there 
[)iird  and 
to  make 
le  ice  and 
'  injuries 
She  was 
:es  at  the 
nd  make 
I  a  gale, 
I  if  mat- 

eriences, 

g  signal 

:  C  A.M., 

hor  and 

stantly 

and  as 

in  order 

Yukon, 

^'s  fight 

nie   and 

in  the 

iged  to 

almost 

aught  a 

about 

a  light 

of  ten 

ied  the 


DOWN  THE  RIVER  AND  HOME. 


343 


next  day  that  evening  saw  us  "hove  to"  for  fear  of 
running  into  Oonalaska  Island  during  the  night.  This 
run  ii(;ross  Bering's  Sea  in  less  than  three  days  was  stated 
by  our  master,  Captain  Jaeobsen,  to  be  the  best  sailing 
record  across  that  sheet  of  water. 

The  morning  of  the  17th  opened  still  and  calm,  with 
a  number  of  the  Aleutian  islands  looming  n\)  directly 
ahead  of  us  in  bold  relief.  A  very  light  breezt^  spi-ang 
up  about  noon,  and  with  its  help  at  0  p.m.  Ave  entered 
the  heads  of  Oonahiska  harbor,  and  at  nine  o'clock  we 
dropped  anchor  in  the  dtirk  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
town.  Most  of  us  visited  the^  place  that  night  and  had  a 
very  pleasant  reception  by  Mr.  Neumann,  the  agent  of 
the  Alaska  Company.  Here  we  found  that  comi)any's 
steamer  the  "Dora,"  and  the  revenue-cutter  "Corwin." 
which  had  been  lying  here  since  leaving  St.  Michael's. 
These  two  vessels  and  everybody  generally  were  waitiiig"^ 
for  the  Alaska  Company's  large  steamer  "  St.  Paul  "*fr(mi 
San  Francisco,  upon  whose  arrival  the  "  Doni,"  was  to 
distribute  the  material  received  for  the  vjirions  ti'ading 
stations  on  the  Aleutian  Islands  and  the  mainhnid  adja- 
cent ;  the  "  Corwin  "  would  sail  for  some  point  or  other, 
no  one  could  find  out  where,  and  the  I'esideiits  would 
settle  down  for  another  year  of  monotonous  life. 

The  last  dav's  gale  on  Bering  Sea  had  left  no  (loid)t  on 
the  minds  of  those  in  charge  that  the  "  Leo  "  woiild  have 
to  be  repaired,  accordingly  she  was  lightentHl  l)y  dis- 
charging her  load,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  2()th  she 
was  beached  near  by,  the  fall  of  the  tide  being  suffi- 
cient to  reveal  her  injuries,  and  to  allow  of  temporary 
repair. 

We  passed  our  time  in  strolling  around  examining  the 


)ri.fl!  %>'"] 


344 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


!''1 


1  I, 


n   I 


il!l 


)9 


1  i 


'■'■  1 


m    iihl:. 


islands,  wliilo  srmi(»  of  llie  party  got  out  tlieir  fislunf? 
tackln  and  .sue(!e»'drd  in  scciirini^  Ji  few  iine  tlioiigli 
Hinall  trout  from  tlie  clear  mountain  sti-cams. 

Tills  grand  (;hain  of  islands  jutting  out  boldly  into  t^e 
broad  Pacific  receives  the  "warm  waters  of  tlie  Japanese 
current — Kuro  Siwo — a  deflected  continuation  of  a  i)art 


iS-^Mi 


OOXALASKA. 

of  the  Pacific  equatorial  current  corresponding  to  ourgnlf 
stream.  Fi'om  this  source  it  derives  a  warmer  climate 
than  is  i)ossessed  by  any  body  of  land  so  nt^ar  the  pole, 
although  it  lies  in  about  the  same  parallels  as  the  British 
Islands.  The  cold  of  zero  and  the  oppessive  he^at  of 
summer  are  equally  unknown  to  this  region.      Grasses 


iifr-  mH 


VW!",I 


r  fisliing' 
^  though 


■  into  t]\e 
-T.Mi)nn('s*' 
)£  a  2)iirt 


fc^fli 


DOWN  THE  niVFAi  AND  UOMi:. 


345 


grow  liixiii'ijiutly  every wlid'c,  upon  wliicli  llio  rehuhMT 
used  to  graze  in  numerous  heids.  theii*  ]\een  sight  Jiiid 
the  jil)sen<'e  of  tiniher  protecliiig  tlieiu  IVom  llie  iiide 
weapons  ol!  the  native  liuuteis  until  the  introduction  of 
iirearnis,  after  whicii  tliey  were  i-apidly  exterminated. 
In  a  few  (hiys  we  heard  witli  i)]easni'etliat  tlie  "  Leo"  was 
ready  and  we  soon  quitted  Ahisl^a  for  good,  Tlie  north- 
west winds  sang  a  nieri'y  song  througli  our  sails  as  tlie 
meridians  and  parallels  took  on  smaller  numbers,  and  in 
a  very  few  days,  the  twinkling  twin  liglits  of  the  Faial- 
lones  greeted  our  eyes,  and  ancliored  safely  within  tlie 
Cfoldeu  Gate,  our  journey  ended. 


mrgnlf 
liniate 
e  pole, 
British 
leat  of 
Trasses 


[1] 


w 


W^~fT  ' 

'  1    ; 

■  ;■  : 

■  1 

'    II  II 


i! 


!l 


i'     111 


'   'I 
I' 


!    i 


•.If     :      ' 


n  :-■  I 


I  ;; 
I 


''■m 


DISCOVERY   AND   HISTORY. 

The  actual  discovery  of  the  great  northwestern  pen- 
insiiUi  of  the  American  continent  cannot  be  dated  fur- 
ther back  than  the  nii<klle  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. Its  remoteness  fi'om  tlie  centres  of  European 
settlement  and  from  tiie  lines  of  trade  and  travel,  and 
its  inhospitable  climate  nuuk^  Alaska  one  of  the  latest 
regions  to  yield  to  tiie  advances  of  llie  explorer,  sur- 
vevor  and  settler.  At  a  date  when  the  colonies  on  the 
North  Atlantic  coast  of  America  numbered  millions  of 
])rosperous  people,  already  ])reparinp;  to  take  indepen- 
dent rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world,  the  very 
existence  of  this  enormous  country  was  unknown.  At 
a  very  early  date,  howevci',  voyagers  tVoii  many  lands 
])ei«;an  their  advances  toward  the  far  >iuj;  m  west,  and  the 
story  of  the  discovery  of  Alaska  nuist  naturally  include 
a  brief  outline  of  these. 

As  early  as  ir)42  the  Spanish  adventurers  Coronado 
and  Juan  llodriguez  de  Cabrillo  went  uj)  the  Pacific 
coast  of  Mexico,  and  sailed  for  some  disf^ance  along  the 
coast  of  what  is  Jiow  the  State  of  California.  The 
memory  of  the  former  has  been  locally  honored  in  Call- 
fornia  in  the  name  of  Coronado  Beach.  At  this  time 
the  Spanish  consitlered  themselves  sole  masters  of  the 
South  Sea,  as  the  Pacific  was  called,  and  of  all  lands 
bordering  upon  it.  But  their  supremacy  there  was  soon 
disputed  by  the  intrepid  Sir  Francis  Drake.  He  not 
only  ravaged  their  South  American  seaports,  but,  in 


gil. 


DISCOVERY  AND  HISTORY. 


347 


\restern  pen- 
j  dated  fur- 
iteoiith   coii- 

travel,  and 
of  the  latest 
i;i)l<)rer,  sur- 
>nies  on  the 

millions  of 
vG  indepen- 
Id,  the  very 
nown.  At 
nany  lands 

est,  and  the 
dly  include 

Coronado 

the  Pacific 

3  alonii'  the 

nia.      The 

ed  in  Cali- 

this  time 
ters  of  the 
>f  [dl  lands 
t'e  was  soon 
He  not 
rts,  but,  in 


I 


i- 


1570,  sailed  far  to  northward  in  a  little  schooner  of  two 
hundred  tons,  entered  the  Golden  Gate,  iind  refitted  his 
vessel  in  wiiat  is  now  the  harbor  of  San  Fi-anciscc^ 
Thirteen  years  later  the  Spaniards  pressed  still  fiirtlier 
up  the  coast.  Apostolos  Valcrianos,  best  known  as 
«)iiaii  de  Fuca,  sailed  from  ^Mexico  and  passed  through 
the  straits  that  bear  his  name,  and  discovered  J*iii;'et 
Sound.  There  adventure  from  the  south  made  ])ause 
for  many  years,  still  a  weary  distance  from  the  Alaskan 
2)eniusula. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  after  the  voyau;es  of  Cor- 
onado, a  dilfercnt  peo[)le,  from  a  dilferent  direction,  l)e- 
gan  to  move  toward  the  same  <!;oal.  Tiiese  were  the 
llussians,  who  liad  already  taken  possession  of  the  <;i'eater 
2)art  of  Siberia,  and  who  were  now  persistently  pushing 
on  to  the  occupation  of  the  Avhole  realm  bi'tween  the 
Baltic  and  the  Pacific.  They  had  already  gone  east- 
ward as  far  as  the  Kolyma  Kiver,  and  possessed  the 
town  of  Nijni  Kolymsk,  in  al)out  1()()°  degrres  east 
longitude.  In  1()4()  they  advanced  still  furtl^er.  Isai 
Ignatieff,  with  several  small  vessels,  sailed  from  the 
Kolvma,  and  effected  a  landing  on  Tchaun  Pav,  in  the 
countrv   of  the  Tchukchees.      He  found  the  trade  in 

« 

walrus  ivory  so  profitable  that  his  example  was  soon 
followed  by  others.  The  very  next  year  the  Cossack 
Simeon  Deshne^f,  with  four  vessels,  sailed  eastward,  to 
take  possession  of  all  the  land  in  the  name  of  the  Rus- 
sian crown.  The  Anadyr  Iliver,  of  which  reports  had 
been  heard  from  the  natives,  was  his  goal.  At  the  same 
time,  Michael  Stadukin  led  an  expedition  overland  in 
the  same  direction.  But  both  these  enterprises  failed. 
The  year  1648,  however,  saw  Deshneff's  venture  re- 


." 


J! 


;if 


1  '^i^ljij 

^1 

i  i' 

1  \ 

1^^ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

h    ■      ! 


IV..  ^' 


mi' 


i 
ii 


;l>p.iii; 


Hr::!:l 


348 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


peated.  Three  sliips  sailed  for  the  Anadyr,  commanded 
res])ectively  by  Simeon  iJe.^hnelf,  Gerasiiu  i^Lnkudinoif, 
and  Feodor  Alexielf.  They  reached  Beliriiig  Strait, 
not  knowing-  it  was  a  strait,  and  Ankndinoff's  vessel 
was  wrecked  o:\  East  Cai)e.  He  and  his  men  Avere  taken 
on  the  other  vessels,  and  the  expedition  kept  on.  Desli- 
nelf  made  his  Avay  around  (\ipe  Navarin  and  Caj)e 
Olintorski  to  the  coast  of  Kamtchatka.  There  his  ves- 
sel was  Avi'ecked  and  he  and  his  men  nnule  their  Avay 
home  ovei'land,  snrvevin^;,  ^-^  they  Avent,  the  Anadvr 
Eiver.  Again  in  1(»')2  DeshnetV  ex])lored  the  Anadyr, 
in  a  boat,  and  tbc  next  year  ])lanned  a  ti'ade-route,  by 
sea,  from  that  river  to  Ynkntsk,  on  the  Lei^a. 

Manv  other  exiH'ditions  to  Kamtchatka  and  the  Avest- 
ern  part  of  Behring  Sea  were  soon  thereafter  made. 
Taras  Stadnkin  in  liS^'A  discovered  the  AV^esternmost 
Kurill  Islands,  and  sniled  ronnd  Kamtchatka  into  Pen- 
jinsk  Bay.  In  KJlMi,  Lncas  8'meonoif  MoroscoA'ich  ex- 
plored Kamtchatka  l)y  land,  and  dnring  the  next  year 
the  Cossack  A'ladimir  AtlassotV  foUoAved  him  thither 
and  bA'  force  of  arms  made  the  Kamtchatdales  subjects 
of  the  Czar.  Thi.  con(]uest  was  marked  by  AA'holesale 
butcheries  of  the  iieli)l(ss  natives,  and  confiscation  of 
their  goods.  The  conquest  of  the  Tehukchees  Avas  at- 
tem])ted  in  1701,  but  fiilcd,  as  did  a  second  ex])edition 
against  them  ten  vears  later.  This  latter,  hoAvever,  un- 
dei-  the  Cossack  Peter  Iliunsen  Potoff,  ia  1711,  had  one 
liiglily-iiiiportant  result.  It  l>r()ught  back  definite  re- 
ports of  tlie  narroAvness  of  Behring  Strait,  of  the  loca- 
tion of  the  Diomedes  Islands,  and  of  the  proximity  of 
the  American  continent.  Then,  for  some  years,  all  fur- 
ther advance  Avas  stayed. 


.^ViA:^ 


DISCOVERY  AND  HISTORY. 


34<> 


R. 

commanded 
i^.Liikudinoff, 
riD<5  Strait, 
Loff's  vessel 
Avere  taken 
t  o'j.  Desli- 
and  Cape 
ere  his  ves- 
:  tlieir  way 
lie  Anadyr 
lie  Anadyr, 
le-route,  by 
'a. 

lid  the  west- 
after  made, 
esternmost 
I  into  Peii- 
bsoovicli  cx- 
iiext  year 
liin  tliitlicr 
es  subjects 
wholesale 
liscation  of 
.'es  Avas  at- 
ex])edition 
>wever,  un- 
1 ,  had  one 
|lefini<^e  re- 
if  the  loca- 
xiniity  of 
.rs,  all  fur- 


; 


The  next  movement  was  undertaken  by  iio  less  a  iier- 


sonajje  than  Peter  tlie  Great, 


-that  Czar 


Who  made  of  tribes  an  Knijiire." 

It  was  at  tlie  end  of  his  reign  and  life.  Two  passions 
moved  him.  One  was  the  zeal  for  scientific  exploration 
and  knowledge  of  the  world  ;  the  otlier,  tlie  desire  to 
exteiul  his  dominion  across  the  Arctic  borders  of  another 
continent.  Accordingly  in  1725  he  planned  a  great 
expedition,  drew  up  full  instructions  with  his  own  hand, 
and  delivered  thein  to  Ailmiral  Apraxin ;  then  died. 
His  Avidow,  who  became  Autocrat  in  his  stead,  ordered 
the  plan  fulfilled,  and  it  was  done  promptly.  On  Feb- 
ruary otli,  172'j,  the  chief  members  of  the  exjx'dition  set 
out  from  St.  Petersburg,  their  k'ader  and  commander 
being  the  illustrior.s  Captain  Vitus  Behring. 

The  ex])lorers  made  their  way  by  slow  stages  to 
Okliotsk.  There  they  built  two  ships,  tlie  **  Fortuiia"  and 
tlie  "(labriel,"  and  on  duly  2()th,  172S,  set  sail  on  their 
adventurous  vovaii'e.  On  this  occasion  tliev  contented 
themselves  Avitli  traversing  ]>ehring Strait,  and  returned 
Avitliout  seeiuii;  the  American  coast  or  even  the  Diom- 
edes  Islands.  A  second  voyage,  in  172' >,  was  altogether 
fruitless,  and  in  the  spring  of  17ot)  Pehring  returned  to 
St.  Petersbui'""  without  liavinu;  achieved  a  siiii>le  work 
of  inn)ortance  or  won  the  first  fraction  of  his  later  fame. 


But  one  of  the  objects  of  h 


us  ex[)editioii  was  ])resen 


tiy 


attained  bv  others,  accidentally.  The  Yakutsk  Cos- 
sacks,  under  Athanasius  Shestakoff,  had  been  for  years 
fighting  to  subdue  the  indomitable  Tchukchees,  with 
little  success.  A  party  of  them  took  the  ship  "  F(n"tuna," 
abandoned  by  Behring,  to  make  a  war-like  cruise  along 


» 


i        \  I 


^S'l 


Wi  '9 


i 


PWT,, 


:|ii 


f 

'l     I 

:>  1 


W  .   li 


11  j;! 


350 


ALONG  ALASKA'iS  GREAT  R^VER. 


tlic  Tcliiikehee  coast.  They  were  sof  n  wrecked  m 
Penjinsk  J^ay,  and  were  routed  in  buttle  with  the 
Tchukehees.  But  the  engineer  and  navigator  of  the 
expedition,  Michael  Gwosdeif,  made  a  hoat  from  the 
Avreck  of  the  "  Fortuna,"  and  with  his  surviving  comrades 
sailed  to  the  Anadyr  River.  Thence  tlie^^  sailed  to 
Cape  Serdze,  '^x[)ecting  there  to  meet  a  Cossack  exj)edi- 
tion  from  overland.  In  this  they  Avere  disaj^pointed. 
And  presently  a  great  storm  arose  from  the  eastward 
and  dove  them,  helpless,  before  it.  Kight  across  the 
strait  they  were  driven,  to  the  American  coast.  Upon 
the  latter,  however,  they  could  make  no  landing.  The 
shore  was  inhospitable  and  the  storm  was  furious.  For 
two  days  they  cruised  along  the  coast,  and  then,  the 
storm  abating,  made  their  way  back  to  Asia. 

Despite  the  failure  of  his  first  exj^edition,  Behring 
was  received  Avitli  honors  and  promotion  at  the  llussiaii 
capital,  and  preparations  were  pressed  for  another  ven- 
ture under  his  command.  For  several  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  voyages  along  the  Siberian  coast,  and  to  Japan. 
But  in  1741  the  great  achievement  of  his  life  began. 
His  pilot,  Ivan  Jelagin,  had  gone  to  Avatcha  with  two 
ships,  the  ''St.  Peter"  and  the  "St.  Paul."  On  Xiakina 
Bay  he  had  founded  the  town  of  Petropanlovsk,  named  for 
the  vessels.  Thither  went  Wilhelm  Steller,  the  Fran- 
conian  naturalist,  and  Louis  de  Lisle  de  la  Croyere. 
Thither,  finally,  ^  .iit  Behring,  and  on  June  4th,  1741, 
sailed  for  Americ  i.  On  Juno  20tli  the  two  vessels  were 
parted  by  a  storm,  and  did  not  come  together  again ; 
nor  did  Behring  and  Chirikoff,  their  commanders,  ever 
meet  again  in  this  world.  Chirikoff,  in  the  "  St.  Paul," 
made  q^uickest  progress.     On  July  15tli  he  reached  the 


R. 


DISCOVEIiY  AND  HISTOUY. 


851 


wrecked  iu 
I  with    the 
ator  of  the 
t  from  the 
ii<>:  comrades 
!y  sailed   to 
lack  expedi- 
isappointed. 
lie  eastward 
t  across  the 
»ast.      Upon 
iding.     The 
Lirious.    For 
d   then,  the 
a. 

on,  Behring 
the  llussian 
another  ven- 
t's he  was  en- 
,nd  to  Japan. 
;  life  began, 
la  with  two 
On  Niakina 
V,  named  for 
the  Fran- 
la  Croyere. 
ie4th,  1741, 
vessels  were 
ither  again; 
anders,  ever 
'  St.  Paul," 
3  reached  the 


American  coast,  and  anchored  in  Cross  Sound.  His 
mate,  DementiefV,  and  ten  armed  men,  in  the  loni;-  hont, 
went  ashore.  They  did  not  return,  and  on  July  21st 
Sidoi- Savelelf  with  other  arnu'd  men  went  after  them, 
in  the  oidy  other  boat  of  the  "St.  Paul."  They  did  not 
return  either,  l^ut  the  next  <lay  two  cano(s  iilled  with 
savages  came  from  the  shore  toward  the  ship,  sliowing 
only  too  ])lainly  what  had  become  of  tlie  landing 
parties.  The  savages  did  not  venture  to  attack  the 
ship,  but  Cliirikofi' had  no  more  boats  in  which  to  efl'-ct 
a  landinu;.  So  on  Julv  27th  he  weiirhed  am-lior  and 
sailed  back  for  Kamtchatka.-  lie  ]>asscd  by  mnnei-ous 
islands,  and  on  October  Dth  re-entered  the  harbor  of 
Petropaulovsk.  Twenty-one  of  his  seventy  men  had 
jicrished ;  anu)ng  them  Louis  de  Lisle  de  la  Oroycre, 
the  French  naturalist,  who  died  of  scurvy  on  the  day 
of  their  retui'U. 

The  "St.  Peter,"  with  Behring  and  his  comrades  on 
board,  meanwhile,  was  driven  blindly  through  tempest 
and  fog  toward  the  Alaskan  coast.  On  Sunday,  July 
IcSth,  he  reached  the  land  and  disembarked,  lie  was 
at  the  foot  of  some  low,  desolate  blulf  which  skirted  the 
shore  foi'  a  long  distance,  and  beyond  which  rose  the 
savage  s[)lendors  of  Mt.  St,  Elias  and  the  Arctic  Ali)S. 
The  s[)()t  was  near  Avhat  is  now  called  Kayak  Island. 
For  six  weeks  Behring  tarried  in  that  neighborhood, 
refitting  his  storm-strained  ship,  laying  aboard  sui)plies 
of  water  and  food,  and  making  a  few  explorations  of  the 
coast.  The  two  capes  between  which  he  landed  he 
named  St.  Elias  and  Hermou'cncs.  Here  the  naturalist 
Steller  found  manv  interestinjjr  traces  of  the  natives. 
Going   further   north,  into   Prince   William's   Sound, 


1 » 


■■  I 


f^- 

\    :    |-     1 

■1  -'"  1; 

i          j  :.;  r 

,T!  /■  i 


■'i(  :. 


\4'-     i 


• 


i\i 


.'! '  '. 


352 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


Bc'liring  bcciuue  confused  by  tlie  iiuniher  of  islands  and 
tlie  dillk'ulties  of  navigation,  and  abandoned  the  direc- 
tion of  the  vessel  to  Lieutenant  Waxel.  They  kept  on, 
past  the  Kenai  Peninsula,  past  Kadiak  Island,  and 
down  the  coast  of  the  slender  Ahiska  Pv'uinsula,  to  the 
soutiiwest,  until  they  reached  a  grou})  of  ishmds  which 
thev  named  Shumanin,  for  a  niend)er  of  the  conii)anv 
wlio  died  and  ^vas  buried  there.  This  was  on  Aui'ust 
2l)th.  On  Heptember  od  a  terrific  storm  arose,  before 
which  they  were  driven,  helpless,  far  out  into  the  North 
Pacljic,  southward  to  latitude  48°.  IScurvv  broke  out 
among  them  with  fatal  force,  and  the  disheartened  men 
resolved  to  return  to  Kamtchatka. 

Thenceforward  for  weeks  they  suffered  almost  in- 
credible hai'dslii[)s.  Every  one  was  suttering  from 
scurvy.  So  weakened  were  they  by  disease  and  famine 
that  it  took  three  men  to  hold  the  helm.  Only  a  few 
sails  were  used,  fjr  the  men  were  not  able  to  hoist  and 
manaii'e  more.  When  these  were  torn  awav  by  the 
storms,  the  helpless  craft  drifted  under  bare  poles.  The 
weather  was  a  chaos  of  wind  anil  fo<>-  and  snow.  For 
weeks  they  drifted  blindly,  now  eastward,  now  westward, 
scarcely  hoj)ing  to  see  lanil  again,  and  utterly  ignorant 
of  the  part  of  the  ocean  into  which  they  had  been  borne. 
But  on  November  4th  a  ])articularly  furious  gale  drove 
them  ashore  on  an  unknown  coa-^t.  They  Avere  in  the 
southeastern  jnirt  of  Behring  kSea,  on  one  of  the  Kom- 
mandorski  grouj)  of  islands.  The  vessel  was  comj)letely 
wrecked,  and  the  men  built  huts  on  the  shore  for  winter 
(piai'ters.  Waxel  was  still  in  command.  Behring  was 
a  victim  to  natural  stupidity,  constitutional  cowardice, 
ami   scurvy.      All    through    the  dreadful  voyage  from 


[  I  .1 
i  ii  i ; 


:i 


it. 


DISCOVERY  AND  IIHSTOliV 


or)8 


isliiiuls  and 
I  tlie  cliroc- 
cy  kept  on, 
Ishuul,  and 
sula,  to  the 
imds  which 
e  company 
on  August 
I  rose,  before 
0  the  North 
J  1)rokc  out 
irtcncd  men 

ahnost  in- 
fering   from 
and  famine 
Only  11  f<L'w 
o  hoist  and 
,Ynv  l)y  the 
poles.     The 
snow.     For 
,v  westward, 
•ly  ignorant 
been  borne, 
oale  drove 
vere  in  the 
'  the  Kom- 
com))letely 
le  for  winter 
t'hring  was 
cowardice, 
oyage  from 


Prince  William  Sound   he  liad  remained  in  his  cabin. 


sliiverinii'  in  abject  terror.     A  few  wet 


aftei-  landin 


n' 


on  December  Sth  he  died.  In  honor  of  him  his  nu'ii 
named  the  island  IJeiii'ing  Island,  and  the  grou|>  llie 
Kommandorski,  while  IJeliring  Strait  and  Ijchi-iiig  Sen 
in  their  names  give  immortality  to  one  of  the  lea-l 
worth V  of  men.  Waxel,  SicUer,  and  the  others  vc- 
maiiied  on  Jiehring  Island  all  that  winter,  feeding  on 
the  ilesh  of  sea-lions  and  tlie  monster  Arctic  manatee  or 
sea-cow,  now  extinct.  They  cohected  a  considerabh) 
store  of  fui"s  of  the  sea-otter,  blue  fox  and  other  animals, 
whicli  they  took  back  to  Russia  and  tlius  "reatlv  stimu- 
lated  the  zeal  of  further  contpiest.  In  the  sumuier  of 
174"^  they  made  their  way  to  Petro[)aulovsky  in  a  boat 
constructed  from  the  wreck  of  their  ship.  W^axel 
reached  St.  Petersl)urg  with  the  official  report  of  the 
expedition  in  174->. 


T 


lencef  irward  the  sfrccc 


d  of 


£rnni 


led 


many  Kussiaii 


adventuHM's  to  the  waters  and  shores  of  Behring  Sea. 
Emilian  Bassolf  discovereil  Attoo  Island,  the  western- 
most of  the  Aleutian  chain,  in  174'"),  and  Michael  No- 
vodtsikolf,   in   the  same  year,  discovered  other  islands 


near  by,  anc 


I  iiOt 


I  ricn  cariro 


off 


urs. 


Otl 


ler  ex})lorers 


who  followed  uj)  the  Aleutian  chain  were  L'ibinski,  in 
174S ;  Trapesnikoif,  in  174'.);  Yagoff,  in  17'">t);  and 
Ivan  Xikiforotf,  who  reached  Unimak  Island  in  \1')1. 
Simon  Krasilnikofl',  Maxim  Lazeroif  and  others  kept 
up  the  work  of  discovering  ishuuls,  getting  furs,  and 
massacreinir  the  natives.  The  Andreanodsky  Islands 
were  discovered  in  17G1,  and  named  in  honor  of 
Andrean  Tolstoi,  who  fitted  out  Lazeroff's  ex[)edition. 
In  tlij  winter  of  17(»l-2,  Pushkareff  and  his  men  lived 


1 


1^^ 
if 


i 


354 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  raVER. 


I^V     i; 


:i!l 


jiiii'i 


:l  -H 


:^r;  \ 


%\\ 


■^  n   hi 

8i    lii| 


111-  IP 


on  tiie  sliorc  of  False  Pass.  Tlioy  wciv  the  first  to 
spend  a  winter  on  the  mainland  of  Alaska,  The  atroci- 
ties c'onnnitted  hy  them  exeited  the  hostility  of  the 
natives,  and  they  Avere  glad  to  get  away  in  Augnst, 
17<)2.  '''hey  took  with  them  thirty  natives,  mostly 
women,  as  prisoners  iuul  slaves ;  hut  on  the  voyage 
home  they  wantonly  murdered  them  all  except  two. 

War  to  the  knife  thereafter  j)revaile(l  among  the 
natives  and  the  Russians.  The  latter  waued  it  with  the 
most  ferocious  energy,  hut  Avere  hy  no  means  always 
victors.  A  whole  ex])edition  of  fifty  men  was  destroyed 
on  Unimak  Island  in  1702;  and  a  similar  party  met 
the  same  fate  in  ITC)-),  on  Ounalaska.  Indeed,  for  years 
the  history  of  Kussian  progress  in  Alaska  was  one  of 
unrelieved  horror,  an  inferno  of  lust,  torture  and 
death. 

And  now  the  advance  of  the  Spanish  and  others  from 
the  southward  was  resumed.  Juan  Perez  sailed  from 
Monterey  in  1774,  and  discovered  Queen  Charlotte 
Island  and  Nootka  Sound.  The  next  year  Bruno 
Ileceta  discovered  the  mouth  of  the  Oregon  or  Columbia 
Kiver.  Then  the  famous  English  navigator,  James 
Cook,  came  upon  the  scene.  In  1778  he  reached 
Nootka  Sound  ;  saw  and  named  Mount  St.  Elias  ;  ex- 
plored Cook's  Inlet ;  stopju'd  for  a  time  at  Ounalaska  ; 
sailed  up  Reliring  Sea,  through  Behring  Strait,  to  ley 
Cape;  exphnvd  Norton  Sound  and  the  adjacent  waters; 
touched  again  at  Ounalaska  ;  and  then  sailed  away  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  he  was  killed  in  February, 
177^.  In  these  few  months  this  immortal  Yorksjiire 
man  and  his  (A)nnecticut  and  Virginia  comrades  had 
lone  moie  active   work  of  discovery  and  survey  than 


jR. 


DISCOVEHY  AND  IIlSTOliY 


3.-).^ 


:Iie  first  to 
Tlie  atroc'i- 
iij  of  the 
n  Auo'iist, 
es,    mostly 
lie   voyage 
j)t  two. 
iiiioiig  the 
it  witli  the 
Ills  always 
i  destroyed 
party  met 
,  for  years 
fVas  one  of 
rture    and 

hers  from 
iled  from 
Charlotte 
ir  Em  no 
Columbia 
T,   James 

reaehed 
lias  ;  ex- 
malaska ; 
it,  to  ley 
t  waters; 

away  to 
ebruary, 

orkshire 
jdes  had 

ey  than 


all  the  Russian  pillagers  who  had  fre(|U*'nted  that  part 
of  the  world  for  seventy-live  years  hefoi'e. 

The  first  ])ermanent  industrial  and  eommereial  settle- 
ment was  eileeted  hy  the  Russians  under  SliclikolV  on 
Kadiak  Island  in  178o.  Three  veais  later  the  ill-fated 
La  Perouse  visited  the  Alaskan  eoast  and  saw  Mt.  St. 
Elias.  In  17S7,  two  Russians,  Lastoehkin  and  I'rihy- 
lolf,  tliseovered  two  islands  in  the  southeast  part  of 
Behring  Sea,  whieh  have  sinee  beeome  of  enormous 
value.  They  named  them  St.  Paul  and  St.  (ieorge,  and 
called  them  together  the  Subotf  Islaiuls.  They  are  now 
known,  however,  as  the  Pribyloif  Islands,  aiul  aiO 
famous  as  one  of  the  chief  homes  of  the  fur  seals. 

The  Russian  Government,  about  1788,  formally  laid 
claim  to  all  the  Alaskan  lands  and  waters,  and  even  to 
the  northern  Dart  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  At  the  same 
time  the  8})anisli  and  English  laid  eonilicting  claims  to 
the  region  about  Nootka  Sound,  and  in  178t)  came  into 
violent  conflict  there.  United  States  exi)editions  were 
also  busy  with  explorations  in  that  region,  but  the 
Spaniards  made  no  objectioi>  to  their  presence.  Captain 
Gray,  of  the  "  Washington,"  Ca[)tain  John  Kendrick,  of 
the  "Columbia,"  Ca[)tain  Metcalf,  of  the  "  Fair  American," 
Captain  Ingraham,  of  the  "  IIo})e,"  (^iptain  Crowell,  of 
the  "  Hancock,"  Captain  Roberts,  of  the  "Jefferson,"  and 
Cai)tain  Magee,  of  the  "  ^Margaret,"  were  among  the 
Americans  conspicuous  in  ex})loration  and  trade,  chiefly 
about  Nootka  Sound  and  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca. 
Captain  George  Vancouver,  already  mentioned  as  a 
member  of  Cook's  exj)editi()ii,  also  spent  much  time  in 
exploring  the  coast,  from  the  island  which  bears  his 
name  northward  to  the  Prince  of  AVales  Islands,  in  the 


\l§-\\ 


'1 

i: 


n  I 

i-,r, I  III 


I 


■  T"*jl- 


1 


ifi 


II      .   I 


■liS 


■''t!;! 


I'l 


856 


ALONG  ALASKA  S  UltEAT  RIVER. 


liritisli  wcrvia  ;  jiiid  Alexundcr  Muckonzie  traveled 
ueross  the  eontineiit  from  Canada  and  explored  the 
great  river  whieh  has  been  named  lor  him.  Tht;  sur- 
vevs  of  Vaneouver  were  the  most  thonnmii  and  ae- 
curate  that  had  been  made. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  Russians.  In  17S2,  (Ire- 
gory  Hholikoff,  of  Ivvlsk,  ►Siberia,  a  man  of  gi-eat  ability 
and  energy,  of  remarkable  brutality,  and  of  unsurpassed 
unserupulousness,  entered  u])on  an  important  eampaign 
for  the  establishment  of  trading  [)i)sts.  In  this  he  was 
aeeo)npanied  by  his  wife,  Natalie  Shelikotf,  a  woman  of 
oxtraordinarv  abilitv.  In  1787,  the  Czarina  Catherine 
II,  gave  him  a  medal  in  reeognition  of  his  serviees; 
and  in  17iH),  by  an  imperial  ukase,  that  notorious  but 
brilliant  sovereign  gave  to  a  ecmiijany,  of  whieh  Sheli- 
kolf  was  the  head,  the  practical  mono])oly  of  the  Alaska 
fur  trade.  Alexander  Baranolf,  one  of  Shelikoff's  sjil)- 
ordinates,  was  soon  made  Chief  Director  of  Affairs  in 
the  llusso- American  colonies.  lie,  like  his  chief,  was 
a  man  of  consummate  executive  abilitv,  and  utterly 
destitute  of  humane  feelincs  or  moral  sense.  In  the 
sunnner  of  17*>'>  he  prevailed  upon  the  Czarina  to  issue 
another  ukase,  authorizinu;  the  sending  of  missionaries 
to  America  to  convert  the  natives  to  the  Orthodox  (ireek 
faith,  'ind  also  the  sending  thither  of  Russian  convicts 
to  teach  them  agriculture.  Thirty  convicts  were  thus 
settled  by  Raranoif  on  the  Kenai  ]ieninsnla,  and  the 
Archimandrite  Joasaph,  elder  of  the  Augustin  friars, 
also  went  thither.  ]\Ianv  other  convicts  and  their  fami- 
lies,  and  monkish  missionai'ies,  were  in  17'U  landed  at 
Kadiak  and  Cape  St.  101  ias.  As  soon  as  they  were 
landed,   JShelikolF  refused  to  support  them,   and  they 


KR. 

io    traveled 

qtlored    tiie 

T!u!  siir- 

;h  and    ae- 

17S2,  (Jre- 

reat  ability 

msiirj)assed 

t  eainpaign 

this  he  was 

I  woman  of 

.  Catherine 

is  services  ; 

orions   hut 

lieh  Slieli- 

the  Alaska 

koff's  snl)- 

Affairs  in 

chief,  was 

id   utterly 

In   the 

na  to  issue 

issiouaries 

lox  Greek 

I   convicts 

Avere  thus 

and   the 

tin  friars, 

leir  faini- 

lauded  at 

liev  were 

iind  they 


I  ■' 


DIS  C  G I  'ER  Y  A  ND  HIS  TOR  V. 


357 


were  coni|)elled  to  work  for  their  livinjj;.  In  cor.se- 
(juence  the  missionaries  sent  hitter  coiujdaints  to  the 
(Var;  and  these  were  accompanied  hy  still  moic  hitler 
complaints  from  the  natives,  who  were  beiuij;  snhjected 
to  such  hrntalities  as  cannot  he  described  in  |)iint. 
These  had  little  elfect,  however.  In  17t''"),  Shelikolf 
died,  and  his  wife  succeeded  him  as  president  of  tlu; 
com|)any.  At  this  time  the  population  of  Kadiak  was 
more  tluin  o,Wi)  adults.  The  next  vear  the  iirst  (Jicek 
church  was  erected  there,  and  Father  Joasaph  was  made 
liishop.  In  171)1)  the  Czar  Paul  chartered  anew  the 
Shelikolf  company,  re-organized  as  the  Russian-Ameri- 
can Comj)any,  for  a  term  of  twenty  years.  He  i^ave  it 
Mbsolute  control  of  all  the  American  coast-laiuls  and 
waters  north  of  latitude  55°.  'I'he  Company  was  re- 
quired to  survey  the  region,  ])lant  settlements,  jiromoto 
agriculture,  commerce  and  othe:-  industries,  j)ropa<iate 
the  (ireek  faith,  and  extend  llussiau  inlluence  and  pos- 
sessions as  widely  as  possible.  As  for  the  natives,  they 
were  bv  the  same  decree  made  the  slaves  of  the  Com- 
pany.  Ijaranoff  was  made  practically  the  sujircme 
head,  the  autocrat  of  the  entire  realm,  on  whose  word 
were  suspended  the  issues  of  life  and  death. 

Under  this  new  rrf/ime  the  old  {xdicy  of  cruelty  and 
outrage  toward  the  natives  Avas  pursued  with  added  in- 
teusitv.  (Jenerallv  the  Ilussians  worked  their  Avill  with 
inijuuiity,  though  sonu'times  the  natives  rose  against 
them  with  vengeful  might,  and  on  several  occasions  the 
Russians  were  glad  to  ilee  to  British  and  American 
ships  for  shelter.  jMeauwhile  explorations  went  on. 
The  American  ship  "Atahualpa"  in  1802  discovered 
the  mouth  of  the  Stikine  lliver.      Baranoff  exj)lored 


I 


!  :i 


'  I, 


I  .ii  I- 


r 

k 
ill 

i. 
I 


.•>'   ! 


i    I 


li    \Vi 


3oo 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GJiEA'f  UIVEli. 


tlu'  lower  part  of  tljc  (^oppcr  River.  In  l.S()4  TJani- 
noir  took  ISilka  from  the  natives,  after  a  liard  hattle; 
renamed  it  Xew  Areliangel,  gave  the  ishiiul  on  wliieh 
it  stootl  iiis  own  name,  and  made  it  thencefortii  the 
ehief  station  in  the  eoUmy.  About  tliis  time  an 
attenn)t  was  made  to  i)lant  trees  on  the  Ak'utian  islands. 
The  lm[)erial  Chamberlain,  Count  Nieolas  IVtrovieh 
lli'sanolf,  founded  u  school  at  Kadiak,and  elleeted  some 
valuable  adiiunistrative  ri'forms,  es[)eeially  in  the  colo- 
nial courts  and  in  the  financial  j-ystem.  Then  he  went 
hack  to  llussia  to  "'ct  the  Czar's  consent  to  his  marriage 
Avith  the  (hiughter  of  Don  Luis  de  Arguello,  tlie  Span- 
ish governor  of  Han  Fruncisco.  As  so(»n  as  he  was 
gone,  Baranoff  undid  all  his  reforms.  lli'sanolf  died 
on  his  way  to  Russia.  His  betrothed  never  believed  he 
was  dead,  tind  never  would  marry  another;  but  waited 
patiently  for  his  return  until  she  became  very  old  and 
dknl. 

John  Jacob  Astor,  having  formed  ii  comj)any  for  the 
Pacific  fur  trade,  sent  a  vessel  to  Sitka  in  IcSOJ),  and  in 
1811  an  agent  to  St.  Petersburg  to  negotiate  with  the 
Directory  of  the  llussian-Anierican  Com})any.  The 
negotiations  were  successful,  and  in  October,  IcSll,  were 
a[)proved  by  the  Czar,  Mr.  Astor  was  to  furnish  pro- 
visions and  supplies  at  stated  prices,  and  to  take  pay 
therefor  in  furs  from  the  Company.  They  were  to  as- 
sist each  other  against  smugglers,  respect  each  other's 
hunting-grounds,  and  not  to  sell  intoxicating  licpiors  to 
the  natives.  In  1817  Baranoff*,  having  grown  old  and 
weary  of  his  toil,  resigned  the  Chief  Directorship  of 
the  colonies,  and  was  succeeded  by  Caj)tain  Leontius 
Hagenmeister.     He  resigned  within  a  year,  and  was 


mm 


DISCOVEltY  AM)  HISTORY. 


859 


)4  Uaru- 

I  battk'; 

II  which 
>rtli  tlio 
tiiiii'  ail 
.  isluiuls. 
t'ti'ovic'h 
ted  some 
lie  c'ohj- 
]io  went 
iiari'iaue 
0  Span- 
he   was 

off  (lied 
ieved  he 
t  waited 
old  and 

'  for  the 
and  in 
rith  the 
'.  The 
11,  were 
sli  jiro- 
ike  pay 
fe  to  as- 
otlier's 
piors  to 
jld  and 
•ship  of 
joontius 
ind  was 


sneeeedcd  by  J^ieiitciiant  Jaiiollsky.  At  this  time  an 
lni|K'i'ial  Coinmissioncr,  Vasili  ({(jlot'nin,  was  sent  to 
investigate  and  re[)ort  on  the  ahnses  of  adiiiinisti'atioii. 
As  a  re.snlt,  in  duly,  ltSlt>,  the  Czar  made  sweeping 
changes  in  the  regulations  of  the  colonics,  which  ellecteil 
some  substantial   reforms. 

There  were  now  Knssian  settlements  on  five  of  the 
Aleutian  islands,  fouf  on  the  shores  of  (\»ok's  Inlet,  two 
on  Chugach  (iiilf,  and  one  at  Sitka.  'i'he  last  named 
was  a  hirge  and  handsome  place,  surrounded  by  gardens 
and  wheat  fields.  In  1<S21  the  charter  of  the  (V)mj)any 
was  renewed  for  twenty  years.  The  profits  of  the  en- 
terprise, liowever,  were  now  declining.  Not  one  of 
Baranoff's  successors  had  a  tithe  of  his  abilitv,  and  the 
result  of  his  loss  was  seen  in  shrinking  dividends.  Ex- 
])l(jrations,  however,  Avere  pushed  vigorously.  X  two 
years'  expedition  surveyed  the  coasts  of  Norton  Sound, 
Bristol  Bay,  and  Nunivak  Island.  The  Alexander 
Archipelago  also  was  thoroughly  explored.  The  lUis- 
siaii  Government  in  1(S21  issued  a  proclamation  of  sov- 
ereignty over  the  whole  Pacific  Ocean  north  of  the  ")lst 
parallel,  and  forbidding  vessels  of  other  nations  to 
api)roach  within  one  hundred  miles  of  the  shores 
thereof,  save  in  cases  of  extreme  distress.  Against  this 
the  Uivted  States  and  England  vigorously  protested, 
and  with  eft'ect.  In  1824  a  convention  was  signed  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Russia,  by  which  the  North 
Pacific  was  opened  to  American  shi[)s,  and  latitnde  54° 
40'  was  recognized  as  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
Bnssian  possessions ;  and  a  similar  treaty  was  made  with 
England  the  next  year. 

Kotzebue  Sound  was  exi)lored  by   the  English  Cap- 


ii' 


1:;l 


!     '■•{ 


A\i   i    \\ 


fi'tur 


^"iip 


r  iiil'i 


1     .1 

':    i 

i}  I 


3G() 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  CHEAT  lUVLIt. 


tain  licLrlicy  in  18li(l.  Captain  Staiiiiikovicli  explored 
imicli  ot  tlic  nortlici'ii  coast  of  Alaska  in  LS'JS.  In 
1<S;)()  (.'licrnolV  examined  tiie  liai'hor  of  Nneliek  and  the 
montli  of  the  KaUnu  Kiver  ;  and  KohnakolV  snrveved 
tlie  hay  and  river  of  Knskocjniin.  In  tliis  year  the 
Coin|)any  took  formal  possession  of  all  the  Kuriie  Is- 
hnids.  The  next  vear  IJaron  von  \Vranu;ell  heeaino 
Director  of  the  Colonies,  and  an  era  of  pro^i'ess  hej;an. 
The  colony  was  opened  for  settlement  to  all  linssians. 
Fort  St.  Michael's,  on  Xorton  Sonnd,  was  estahlished. 
jNFeasnres  wen;  taken  to  check  the  destrnction  of  seals 
and  other  sea  animals.  An  ohservatory  was  tonndedat 
Sitka.  In  18)1")  (ilasnnolf  explored  the  deltas  of  the 
Knsko(inim  and  Ynkon  rivers,  ascendini!;  the  latter 
stream  as  far  as  Anvik.  Small-pox  now  hroke  ont  at 
Sitka,  and  for  several  years  ravagi'd  all  the  settlements, 
nearly  de[)opnlating  some  of  them.  In  18I)(S  INIalakolf 
went  np  the  Ynkon  Iliver  to  Xnlato,  and  Knshevaroff 
th()ron,i;;hly  explored  the  northeastern  coast  as  i'ar  as 
Point  IJari'ow.  The  next  vear  Mt.  St.  Elias  Avas  ol)- 
served  for  the  first  time  to  enut  smoke,  hnt  no  further 
erni)tion  occurred.  In  184.')  Lieutenant  Zai«;oskin  as- 
cended the  Yukon  as  far  as  Nowikakat,  jNIalakolf  ex- 
plored the  Suchitna,  GrenorlefF  the  C\)])per  Kiver,  and 
Kashevaroff  the  shores  of  IjchringSea. 

The  second  charter  of  the  Company  exph'ed  in  1841, 
and  strong  efforts  were  made  to  have  it  renewed  at  once. 
The  (fovernment  hesitated,  hut  finally,  in  1844,  re- 
newed it  on  even  more  liheral  terms  than  l)efore.  In 
the  summer  of  1848  the  first  whaling  vessel  passed 
through  Ik'hring  Strait.  It  was  the  American  ship 
"  Suj)erior,"  connnanded  by  Captain  Roys.      The  ex- 


DISL'OVFMY  AND  HISTOJiV. 


861 


"xplorotl 
is.  In 
and  the 
iirvcvcd 
car  tliu 
iiilo  Is- 

bccaino 
<  1)(\i;mii. 
Uissians. 
ItllsIuHl. 
of  seals 
mdc'd  at 

of  the 
('  latter 
'  out  at 
eineiits, 
lalakoif 
ievai-()ff 
i  far  as 
vas   ob- 

fiirtlier 

kin  as- 

colf  ex- 

CT,  and 

n  1841, 

at  once. 
44,  ro- 
i'v.  In 
passed 
in  ship 
'lie  cx- 


perimeiit  was  lii<;lily  siiccessfid,  and  in  tli^  next  season 
no  le>s  than  one  hunched  and  lil'ly-four  American 
wliak'is  followed  tlie  example,  all  inaiviui;- ^I'eat  ealciies, 
and  the  industry  was  thus  estahlislied  in  tiiost-  walei's. 
l^ui;'lish  and  American  expiorei's  continued  to  visit  to 
nortiiern  coasts  of  Alaska,  ami  surveyi'd  almost  evi'ry 
portion  of  it. 

As  the  endiii!''  of  the  tlrrd  charter  of  the  (  omnanv 
approached,  ell'orts  were  made  to  secure  still  iinother 
renewal.  .V  com|)lete  report  on  the  operations  of  thu 
Company  was  made  at  the  eiul  of  ISdl.  According;' to 
it,  the  orii;inal  capital  was  .^7o,.')()().  In  ISl.S  it  was 
"  watered,"  and  the  shares  wci-e  made  .^Ji^lOO  instead  of 
.f  112. ">()  each.  In  1S14  the  ^'ompany  had  accumulated 
a  surjdus  of  .TJ>;J37,'")0().  At  the  end  of  IcSdl  the  capital 
was  iji^  UK") ,()()(),  and  the  surplus  !i^,V):5,()(M).  The  (riglnal 
investment  had  paid  from  six  to  ten  \)vr  cent,  net 
annually,  hesides  the  enormous  peculations  of  the  ollicers 
and  employes.  l)es[)ite  the  earnest  endeavors  of  the 
(.\)mpany,  however,  the  Czar  finally  refused  to  renew  its 
(charter,  and  the  Conii)any  began  to  wind  u|)  its  business. 
In  1(S(}4  there  was  a  iireat  inci'case  of  American  interests 
in  the  colony.  The  Western  Union  Telei;ra[)h  C*ompany, 
of  New  York,  doubtinji;  the  ]>ractical)irity  of  operating 
a  cable  under  the  Atlantic,  ])lanned  to  construct  a  tele- 
graph line  to  Europe  by  way  of  Alaska  and  Sibeiia.  In 
this  the  Ilnssian  (jiovornment  agreed  to  co-o])erate.  A 
surveying  expe.iition  was  accordingly  sent  to  Alaska,  and 
nn]ch  exi)lo''ing  work  was  done  at  a  cost  of  more  than 
three  million  dollars.  The  incident,  though  without 
practical  result  in  itself,  drew  so  much  attention  to 
Alaska  and   its  resources  that  an  American   syndicate 


!i'-. 


i.B''  :!■ 


m 


m  I 


B 


»/ 


I 


_)_iii»ip-PW,»||||^H 


V' 


Ir:!-:!'' 


.f  I 


*■! 


H! 


;!  '■  11 


;:^:ii 


3if'l 


862 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GltE AT  RIVER. 


r"  { 


wjis  fonried  to  j)ur('liu.se  for  itself  the  charter  whieli  tlie 
C/ar  refused  to  grant  to  the  okl  llussiaii  Company.  This 
came  to  the  ear  of  ^^^r.  Reward,  the  ^Vmeriean  ISeeivuiry 
of  State,  and  he  soon  eonehkled  that  it  wouhl  hn  a  good 
bargain  for  the  United  States  to  buy  the  whole  country 
outright  from  Ilussia.  This  was  done  in  1307.  The 
United  States  paid  Ilussia  $7,li()0,()0()  for  the  whole 
Territory  of  Alaska.  Nearly  all  of  this  went,  at  St. 
IVter.-'burg,  to  satisfy  old  debts  and  obligations  incuri'ed 
by  Alaskan  enterpi-ises.  The  treaty  of  sale  was  agreed 
ii[>on  on  March  oOtli ;  it  was  ratified  by  the  United 
States  Senate  on.  ]\Iay  28tli ;  pr(X'lainied  by  the  Presi- 
dent on  June  2()th  ;  General  Jefferson  C.  Davis  was 
appointed  to  take  command  of  Alaska  on  Se})tember 
0th;  and  on  October  18th  the  United  States  took  formal 
and  actual  possession  of  the  country. 

This  new  Territory  was  looked  upon  as  an  Indian 
counti-y  and  General  Davis  was  really  a  militar}'  com- 
ma ndi'r.  His  heathiuarters  wei-e  at  Sitka,  where  he  had 
a  garrison  of  about  2oO  men.  A  number  of  enter})ris- 
jng  business  men  accompanied  General  Davis  to  Sitka, 
and  immediately  began  erecting  storehouses  and  ollices, 
antl  purchasing  the  ])roj)erty  of  the  old  Russian  Com- 
l)any.  In  less  than  a  week  several  new  stores  were 
erected  and  two  drinking  saloons,  two  bowling  alleys 
and  a  restaurant  were  in  operation.  All  sorts  and  con- 
ditions of  men  began  flocking  in,  including  pioneers 
and  scpiatters,  and  as[)irants  for  political  honors  in  the 
Terriiory.  There  was  talk  of  framing  a  city  charter, 
and  of  creatiui*'  numerous  lucrative  ollices.  The  usual 
anit)unt  of  crime  and  disorder  of  a  frontier  settlement 
occurred,  and  soon  all  res2)ectable  inhabitants  were  com- 


liicli  tlie 
iiy.  This 
■>ecTei.:iy 

n 

:  couiilrv 
)7.  Tlio 
le  ^vliole 
t,  at  Ht. 
incurred 
IS  a  "reed 
i  United 
e  I^iesi- 
iivis  Avas 
^})teinber 
k  formal 

I  Indian 
ir}'  eoni- 

i  lie  had 
iterpris- 
()  8itka. 
[\  oiliees, 
in  Com- 
es Avere 
^'  alleys 
nd  eon- 
>i()neers 
s  in  the 
charter, 
usual 
th'ment 
re  com- 


DisvovKny  amj  ul'stoiiy 


OUO 


pelled  to  lock  their  doors  at  nightfall  and  not  venlui'e 
out  auain  until  davlit'ht.  l^ifiicnllies  v;ith  tiic  Indians 
also  soon  beiran,  and  for  many  years  the  Tenitorv  was 
in  a  state  of  disorder  and  confusion,  lackinir  any 
orn'anized  government. 

In  Februarv,  ISoS,  tlie  Ilussians  began  to  j-etui'n 
honu!  and  to  aljandon  the  Territory  to  its  new  owneis. 
In  this  year  many  serious  troubles  with  the  Indians 
occrrred  on  the  Yukon  Iliver,  and  on  tlu'  liist  of 
Janujiry,  ISC/.),  there  was  some  disturl)ance  at  Sitka 
itself  In  Aj)ril,  ISC)*.?,  the  jniblicatlon  of  a  ncwspaiu'r 
was  beii'un  at  Sitka  bv  a  man  who  also  followed  the 
avocations  of  lawyer  and  tailor.  This  paju'r  |»assed  out 
of  existence  after  about  a  year  and  was  not  revived.  In 
1870  the  Avithdrawal  of  the  military  gjn-risous  occui-red, 
excepting  those  at  Sitka,  and  Wrangell.  Jn  IS74  an 
attem[)t  was  made  to  colonize  Alaska  with  Icelanders, 
Avho  were  at  that  time  leaving  their  own  countrv  in  lai  w 
nundjers.  Several  of  them  visited  Alaska  and  Avere 
pleased  Avitli  tlu;  a[)[)earance  of  the  country.  An  oiler 
was  made  to  transport  thither  five  hundred  Icelanders 
free  of  chai'g(%  but  it  was  not  accepted,  and  the  scheme 
of  colonization  was  finally  abandoned.  In  1S7S  a 
serious  outbreak  of  Indians  occuri'cd  at  Sitka,  and  the 
inha))itants  of  that  town  were  compellcMl  to  a})peal  for 
protection  to  the  commander  of  an  Kngiish  war-ship. 
In  1SS4  a  re<>;ular  territoi'ial  ii-overnment  was  estab- 
lished  and  a  civil  governor  aj)pointed,  the  military 
garrisons  having  been  Avithdrawn. 


I- 


\    1 


t      ! 


tl 


i         ^1 


:   III 


:^l 


m 


*rnrjs":'i 


TH'!  PEOPLE   AND  THEIR  INDUSTRIES. 


I 

I' 

m 


■■* 


Tlio  Fiiired  StiSffees  •^r^mxus  of  1800  definitely  enu- 
merated 21,t>2'.>  inliMhitants  of  Alaski,nnd  estimated  tlie 
existence  of  aixait  <S,4()()  more.  Of  those  enumerated 
tliere  were  o,*)22  wliite  males  and  4U7  white  females; 
82  bhu'k  males;  770  "  mixed"  males,  and  708  "mixed" 
females;  and  2, rj~)  male  diinese;  while  the  nativQ 
j)ojiulation  inchuk'd  7,1  ">8  males  and  <),/.)77  females. 
Aeeordinii'  to  the  sani<'  eensiis  there  were  in  Alaska  11 
or<ranizations  of  the  Orthodox  (jreek  Chureh;  with  22 
edifk'cs  with  a  >*eatin'r  <*a|KH'ity  of  2,000  and  a  value  of 
,*180,00().  TIk' (•'.ow»muni<'jinrs  numbered  i*.,')04.  The 
Roman  Oathofic  ^liureh  Hi-ad  *j  organizations,  with  (> 
l)uildin<»;s,  scatini;-  ')40  ix^rsons,  and  valued  at  !|^0,700. 
There  were  -")-">',)  communicints.  No  less  tlian  27  lire 
insurance  companies  were  doini^;  business  in  the  Territory, 
and  in  1880  the  risks  written  and  renewed  by  them 
aooTco-ated  .i^l  ,710,184. 

The  people  of  Alaska  have  been  sp;oken  of  as  Ameri- 
cans, Russians,  Ilydtdis,  Tsimjiseans,  Thliidvcts,  Aleuts, 
Innuitsoi-  I'3skiiuos  and  Tinneh,or  Athabascan  In<lians. 
Kiiiht  distinct  lanLi,iKn;'es  and  sevei'al  dialects  are  spoken. 
The  Tsimpseans  emhrace  only  the  settlcMuent  at  Metlak- 
ahtIa,altout  one  thousand  j»eoplc  who  came  overfr<sn  Hrit- 
ish  ('oluiid)ia.  The  Ilydahs  have  some  five  or  six  villages 
on  the  south  end  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island  with  about 
nine  hundi'cd  people.  The  M'hlinkets  reside  in  fi'om 
forty  to  fifty  villages  in  the  Alexander  Archipelago  ami 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  IXDCSTJilES. 


305 


]j  enu- 
ated  the 
nicratod 
fciuales ; 
mixed" 
)  iiutivQ 
feinalt'j^. 
aska  n 
with  22 
^'ahio  of 
■•  TJio 
Avitli   () 

27  lire 
rritorv, 
y  them 

Mcuts, 

nlians. 

H)koii, 
■tlak- 
Hrit- 
lai!,'('s 

about 
from 

•<t  and 


along  tlie  coast  from  Cu[)e  Fox  to  Coi)[H'r  Ivlvcr.  All 
these  have  become  i)artly  civilized  ])v  coiitacl  with  the 
whites  and  through  i!ie  intluenee  of  schools  und  mis- 
sions, nnd  there  is  a  large  number  of  those  who  can 
speak  English  an.d  liave  Ixvome  excellent  citizens.  The 
Aleuts  are  also  ])artly  civilized,  but  with  a  civilization 
confoi'ming  more  neai'ly  to  that  of  the  llussiuns  than 
our  own.  These  reside  upon  the  islands  of  the  Aleu- 
tian chain,  the  Hhunagin  and  Ivodiak  groups,  the  Ali- 
aska  i*eninsula  and  the  islands  of  >St.  Paul  and  St. 
Ge(trge  in  liehring  Sea. 

There  are  a  few  Aleut  half-breeds  in  Sitka.  Many 
of  these  people  talk  the  Russian  language.  The  Inuu- 
its  and  Tinnehs  cannot  be  said  to  be  civilized,  though 
their  barbarism  has  been  modified  by  contact  with  white 
j)eople.  The  Innuits  reside  along  the  coast  from  Xushe- 
gak,  in  IJehring  Sea,  to  the  eastern  limit  of  our  domin- 
ion in  the  Arctic  region.  Lieutenant  Jiay  speaks  of 
them  as  living  in  a  state  of  anarchy,  juaking  no  com- 
binations, offensive  or  defensive,  having  no  punishment 
foi'  crimes  and  no  government.  (Jiven  to  [)etty  pilferiiig, 
they  make  no  attempt  to  reclaim  stolen  property.  They 
are  social  in  their  habits  and  kin<l  to  each  other.  These 
pei)j)le  are  obliged  to  devote  all  their  energies  to  pro- 
curing the  iiecessary  food  and  clolhing  to  maintain  life. 
Tlieir  intelligence  is  of  a  low  order  and  the  race  is  ap- 
])arentiy  diminishing.  Physically  they  are  strong  and 
{)os-<'ss  great  powers  of  endurance-. 

The  TinneliH  occupy  the  interior,  tiie  Yukon  valley, 
except  the  portions  near  its  mouth,  and  come  dowi!  to 
the  seashore  oidy  at  Cook's  Tidet.  Tliey  ai'e  called 
"Stick"  Indians  by  the  Thlinkets.     These  peo[)le  have 


1. 


! 


'\l 


I     i 

1 


III 


hi 

l; 

1 

illH^ 


?>GG 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


inaiiy  tniits  of  tlit'  Xortli  Awicricaii  Iii(]it us  elsewhere, 
5111(1  nuiy  properly  l)e  desigiuiled  as  Indians.  The  other 
natives  of  Ahiska  are  not  true  Indians  jind  liave  not 
generally  been  treated  as  siieh  by  tiie  j;'overnineiit. 
They  have  no  real  tribal  relations,  though  formerly  the 
heads  of  faniiiifs  were  recognized  as  chiefs  and  called 
such. 

At  the  ])resent  time,  among  the  llydahs,  Tsimpscjins, 
Thliiikets  and  Aleuts,  the  so-called  chiefs  have  very 
little,  if  any,  power  or  inihieiiee,  as  such.  Among  the 
Eskimos  it  may  be  doubted  if  the  ollice  ever  amounted 
to  anything. 

The  progress  of  the  natives  of  Southeastern  Alaska 
toward  civilization  is  stead v  and  certain,  ihouiih  it 
must  not  be  supposed  that  these  i)eo[)le  yet  take  high 
rank  in  learning,  iutelligeuce  or  morality.  Th  •  edu- 
catiiiii'  and  elevatiiiii;  influences  of  the  schools  and  mis- 
sions,  though  doing  much,  perhaps  more  than  we  should 
expect  under  the  circumstances,  must  be  continued  a 
loini'  time  in  order  to  eiVect  anvthing  like  satisfactory 
conditions. 

In  some  respects  the  physical  condition  of  the  ditr(M'- 
ent  native  tribes  is  alike  and  in  others  not.  All  are 
strongly  built,  rather  short,  and  by  their  habits  of  liv- 
ing inured  to  hardship  and  enduranc(\  The  men  have 
very  light  or  no  lieards,  and  frecpicHy  trim  the  scat- 
tering hairs  on  their  chins  closely  or  pluck  them  out. 
The  average  height  is  Ic.s  than  that  of  Eui'o[)eans. 
They  have  an  A-^iatic  cast  of  features  and  the  coast 
people  are  generally  tliought  to  have  originated  from 
Japanese  stock.  The  Eskimos  have  a  language  very 
simdar  to  the  Eskimos  of  Labrador  aid  almost  identical 


m 


Isowliore. 
'lie  oil  I  or 
liivG  not 
L'rnnuMit. 
icrly  the 
ul  calk'd 

n|)S(';;ns, 
vc  very 
long  tlie 
nonntod 

Alaska 
ongli  it 
CO  liigh 
li  '  c'du- 
lul  mls- 
shonltl 
nuc'd  a 
■'fat'toiy 

i  ditVcr- 

AII  are 
of  liv- 
n  luive 
e  scat- 

cm  out. 

o[)eans. 

e  coast 
I  from 

rv.  vciy 
entical 


i 


THE  PEOPLE  AXD  THEIR  INDUSTRIES.        ;;«J7 

witli  a  s)iiall  [xipulation  u[)on  lli(^  Asiatic  side  of  JJelir- 
i'lg  Strait.  Piiysically  tliey  ditVcr  from  the  Eskimos  of 
(jjreeuiaiid  and  Labrador,  beiii<jj  more  robust  and  iieahhy. 
All  of  tlie  natives  of  Ahiska  have  small  and  tlelicately- 
fornied  hands  and  feet  and  rather  a  masiiive  head, 
straii»lit  black  hair,  dark  eyes,  liii;h  cheek  bones  ami 
nut-brown  complexion.  All  are  to  a  lar<;'e  extent  llsh 
caters,  thon:L;h  tlie  Tinnelis,  iivini;'  in  the  interi(»r,  or 
Innalik  (ribcs  of  the  Yukon,  an'  compelled  to  subsist 
to  a  ii;reater  extent  upon  game  and  land  products. 

Their  dwellings,  not  so  imliko  originally,  have  now 
become  (piite  diiferent  in  styk»  and  manner  ol' construc- 
tion. Tiio-e  residing  in  Southeastern  Alaska  iiavc 
frame  or  block  licmses  wholly  above  gi'ound,  with  sleep- 
ing apai'tments  |)artitioned  olf  from  the  main  or  living- 
room  where  the  central  fireplace  is  located,  \\k(\  the 
state-roons  of  a  river  steamboat,  and  nriny  of  the 
Tiill  dcets  have  substituted  the  modern  co(»king-;tove 
and  [)ipe  for  the  fireplace  and  oj»en  chimney-hole  in 
the  roof 

Tliesu  ])eo[)le  are  all  self-su])porting;  the  llydahs, 
Tsimp-eans,  Thlinkets  and  Aleuts  living  con»fortably 
with  plenty  of  f)od  and  blankets.  The  l"]skimos,  es- 
pecially those  of  the  Arctic  region,  have  a  hard  time  of 


it  to  keep  from  starvation  and  death  by  free/.in; 


T 


ic 


Tinnelis,  or  liigaliks,  have  less  of  tlu!  ( onveniences,  not 
t)  <ay  luxuries  of  life,  than  any  of  the  >.)ast  tribes.  The 
last-named   two  tribes  have  smail,  poorly  built,  partly 


dwell 


urns  arc  en- 


underground  houses,  and  their  winter  c 
tlrely  covered  with  earth. 

JMcution  has  alr(>adv  been  made  of  the  town  of  Sitka, 
the  capital  of  the  Territory.     It  is  beautifully  situated, 


I):      ' 


"  i. 


!'■' 


t  i  3 


i     I 


I! 


t'l )  ifji 


fflT" 


wm 


n 


■III 


m 


I  !l   I 


\vr 


!'i'' 


'\\'' 


868 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


slieltcrod  hy  a  ninge  of  snow-covered  mountains  on  the 
one  side  and  on  tlie  other  j)roteeted  from  tlie  broad  ex- 
panse of  the  Paeiiie  Ocean  and  its  storms  hy  a  numer- 
ous group  of  thickly- wooded  isUmds.  The  waters  of 
the  harbor  are  singularly  clear,  so  that  in  lookini:;  »ver 
the  side  of  a  vessel  one  can  see  the  bottom  at  a  tlepth 
of  many  fathoms.  A  warm  equatorial  current  bathes 
this  shore  and  bears  into  these  Arctic  regions  many 
sponges,  coral  branches  and  other  growths  of  wai-mer 
latitudes.  The  town  itself  lies  clustered  near  the  shore 
and  presents  a  [)leasing  picture  to  the  visitor  as  he  ap- 
proaches it  from  the  sea.  Its  most  cons2)icuous  feature 
is  tlu!  old  weather-beaten  and  moss-iirown  castle  which 
crowns  a  rocky  hill.  This  sti'ucture  is  140  feet  long 
and  70  feet  wide,  and  is  built  of  huge  cedar  logs.  It 
was  for  many  years  the  oflicial  residence  of  the  Rus- 
sijin  governors  and  was  at  times  the  scene  of  splendid 
social  gatherings.  In  its  upper  story  were  arranged  a 
ball-room  and  a  theatre,  and  the  buildinsi;  throudiout 
was  as  I'ichly  furnished  as  a  pal.ue  in  St.  Petersburg  or 
Moscow.  Home  of  these  rich  furnishings  still  remain, 
though  as  a  whole  the  building  is  in  a  most  dilapidated 
condition.  Another  prominent  building  is  the  old 
Greek  Church  with  its  emerald  Lireen  dome,  Bvzantine 
s])ii'e,  fine  chime  of  bells  and  richly  decorated  interior. 
It  is  liberally  maintained,  as  indeed  are  all  the  other 
Gi'cek Churches  in  the  Territory, l)y  the  llussian  Govern- 
ment. ]M()st  of  the  lionses  in  Sitka  are  built  of  heavv 
logs,  some  of  them  Ix'iiig  also  <'lai)boan!ed  outside. 
During  the  winter  about  1,000  Indians  live  there  and 
the  white  population  is  composed  of  the  governm(Mit 
oilicials  and  agents,  a  few  store-keepers  ami  traders,  and 


TUE  PKOPLE  AND  THEIR  INDUSTRIES. 


.'U:< 


GU 


s  on  the 

nnul  cx- 

luiiuer- 

iTjiters  of 

ino;    iver 

a  ile[;tli 

t  bathes 

IS  luany 

Wiiniicr 

le  shore 

5  he  ap- 

1  feature 

e  wliich 

eet  loiiii; 

()i>;s.      It 

lie  llus- 

^pleiidid 

aiii>ed  a 

ougliout 

sburg  or 

remain, 

i]>i(lated 

ho    old 

/autine 

iiterior. 

0  other 

Jovei'n- 

Iieavy 

)utside. 

re  and 

riiiuent 

rs,  and 


perliaps  four  or  five  hundred  miners  and  pr()speetors 
from  the  inland  regions.  In  mid-winter  there  arc  only 
about  six  hours  of  daylight  in  each  dav,  and  in  mid- 
summer  there  is  for  a  time  praetieally  no  night  at  all. 
Ivain  is  the  prinei[)al  feature  of  the  climate,  and  this 
abundance  of  moisture  caiv-ses  all  vegetation  to  uiow 
luxuriantly.  There  is  an  abundance  of  vegetables  and 
some  fruit,  and  domestic  cattle  are  ke[)t  sueecsstully. 
Nowhere  outside  of  the  tropics  is  a  more  luxuiious 
natural  vegetation  to  be  found  than  in  these  islands  of 
southern  Alaska.  Sitka  is  a  neat  and  clean  citv,  and  as 
a  rule  is  now  (piiet  and  orderly.  It  contains  a  larg<i 
industrial  school,  attended  by  200  native  boys 
and  girls,  the  course  of  study  in.cluding  neai'ly  all  use- 
ful industries.  Twenty  miles  south  of  Sitka,  on  the 
same  island,  hot  springs  are  to  be  found,  the  water  of 
which  is  rich  in  sul[)hur  and  iron.  For  many  genera- 
tions these  have  been  a  sanitary  res(n't  of  the  nativ<'S, 
and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  in  the  near  future  they  will 
be  greatly  visited  by  tourists  from  the  United  States 
and  elsewhere.  The  temperature  of  the  water  is  about 
l.M°  Fahrenheit,  and  the  springs  are  surrouiuled  by 
tropical  vegetation. 

After  Sitka,  the  most  important  settlement  in  the 
Territory,  is  Fort  Wrangell.  It  is  beautifully  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Stickhin  Kiver,  where  there  is  an 
excellent  and  capacious  harbor,  surrounded  by  imjtos- 
ii?g  inoinitains.  The  town  consists  of  rather  more  than 
100  bouses,  and  includes  about  500  permanent 
inhabitants.  There  are  two  )r  three  large  stores  for 
the  sale  of  goods  to  the  natives  and  for  the  purchase  of 
furs  and  other  natural  products,  as  well  as  the  quaint 


I       i 


370 


ALOXG  ALASKA'S  0 HEAT  III VKR. 


iil'^ 


i'- 


'    :ii! 


,.!! 


miimifiU'tiircs  of  tlio  Indians.  Tliore  is  ulso  a  flourisli- 
ini»'  industrial  school  for  the  Indian  urirls.  A  Icadinj"- 
native  industry  hero  is  thi'  nianufaetuie  of  jewelry  from 
silver  ami  ivory.  In  this  the  natives  are  very  expert, 
[>roduein!jj  most  elaborate  [)att(rns  and  eopyinu;  any  de- 
si<;-ns  given  to  them  with  the  most  j)atient  and  unfailing 
fidelity. 

AV^hen  the  United  States  took  possession  of  Alaska  ?i 
great  many  aetive  and  ambitious  men  on  the  Pacific 
C'():ist  were  iiid)ued  with  the  idea  that  mueh  that  Avas 
really  valuable  in  Alaska  in  the  line  of  furs  and  the 
precious  metals  would  be  deyeloi)ed  to  their  great  gain  and 
benefit  if  they  gave  the  subject  the  attention  which  it  de- 
served. Accordingly,  many  ex[)editions  were  fitted  out  at 
San  Francisco,  Puget  Sound,  and  other  [)oints  on  the  ]*a- 
eific  coast,  and  directed  to  an  examination  of  these  reputed 
sources  of  wealth  in  that  distant  counti'v.  ^Fany  years 
liiive  now  rolled  by,  I'ud  in  that  time  we  have  been  en- 
abled to  judge  pretty  accurately  of  the  relative  value  of 
this  new  territory  in  comparison  with  that  of  our  nearer 
])ossessions,  and  it  is  nr)W  known  that  the  fur-trade  of 
Alaska  is  all  and  even  more  than  it  was  rej^uted  to  bo 
by  the  Russians. 

In  this  connection  the  most  notable  instance,  perhaps, 
of  the  ii'i'eat  value  of  these  interests  may  be  cit(>d  in  the 
case  of  the  seal  islands.  Ft  will  be  remembered  that  at 
tlie  time  of  the  transfer,  when  the  most  eloipient  advo- 
cates of  the  purchase  were  exhausting  the  fertility  of 
their  brains  in  drumming  uj)  and  securing  every  possi- 
bl(»  argument  in  fivor  of  the  })urchase,  though  the  fur 
trade  of  the  mainland,  the  sea-otter  fisheries,  and  tiio 
possible  extent  of  trade  in  walrus  oil  and  ivory  were 


THE  VEOl'LE  AM)  TIIEIH  INDlSTlilKS. 


;;7i 


flourisli- 

Icadiiii!: 

'Iry  from 

^    (.'XjH'l't, 

;■  any  de- 
iiitiiiling 

Alaska  ;i 
.'   Pacilio 
tliat  wan 
and  tlio 
i!;ain  and 
c'li  it  de- 
ed out  at 
1  the  Pa- 
•reputed 
IV  vears 
t'en  eii- 
^alue  of 
nearer 
rade  of 
.'d  to  be 

•erliaps, 

in  tlie 

tliat  at 

advo- 

ility  of 

possi- 

lie  fur 

nd  tiio 

were 


dwelt  ii[)un  with  <:;reat  emphasis,  these  fur-seal  islands 
did  not  receive  even  a  passing  notice  as  a  source  of  icv- 
enue  oi-  valii*  to  th(»  j»ul)lic.  Vet  it  has  transjiired, 
nincc;  the  ,i;'oV"rnment  has  In-eu  wises  enou_i;'h  to  follow 
out  the  i;enei'al  policy  which  the  Russians  estahlished 
of  protecting  the  seal  lift' on  the  Prihylof  Islands,  that 
these  interests  in  our  hands  are  so  manured  and  directecl 
that  they  j)ay  into  the  treasuiy  of  the  Ljiited  States  a 
Hum  sulHcient  to  meet  all  tlu!  expenses  of  the  govei'u- 
ment  in  helialf  of  Alaska,  heside  leaving  a  large  excess 
every  year. 

Of  other  resources,  such  as  the  adaptation  of  the 
country  for  settlement  hy  any  consitU-rahle  numl)er  of 
our  people  as  agriculturists  or  husbandmen,  and  its 
actual  value  as  a  means  of  supplying  gold  and  silver, 
coal  or  timber,  it  nuist  be  said  that  as  yet  no  very  re- 
markable gold  or  silver  mines  have  been  discovered,  nor 
liave  there  been  any  veins  of  coal  worked  that  would 
in  themselves  sustain  any  consjdei'able  nuud)er  of  our 
people  or  give  rise  to  any  volume  of  vrtide. 

The  timber  of  Alaska  in  itself  extends  over  a 
much  larger  area  of  that  country  than  a  great  many 
surmise.  It  clothes  the  steep  hills  and  mountain  sides, 
and  chokes  \\\>  the  valleys  of  the  Alexander  ArchijH  lago 
and  the  contiguous  mainland  ;  it  stret.ches  less  d(!nse, 
but  still  abundant,  along  that  inhospitabhs  reach  of  ter- 
ritory which  extends  from  the  head  of  Cross  Sound  to 
the  Kenai  peninsula,  where,  reaching  down  to  the  west- 
ward and  southwestward  as  far  as  the  eastern  half  of 
Kadiak  Island,  and  thence  across  Shelikof  Strait,  it  is 
found  on  the  maiidand  and  on  the  peninsula  bordering 
on  the  same  latitude ;  but  it  is  conlined  to  the  interior 


.HI* 

'Hi- 
I 


:(         ! 


m  > 


j 


u 


!» 


;|-ii 


ir:  'I 


11 


I  '■- 


» 


372 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  (iUEAT  inVLll. 


opposite  Kiidiak,  not  comliijjj  down  to  the  coast  iis  far 
(Mstward  as  Cape  Douglas.  Hero,  liowcver,  it  impinges 
0:1  tlie  eoast  or  (ooic's  Iidct,  rcachin;;'  down  to  liic 
shores  and  extending  around  to  the  Ivenai  peninsula. 
From  tlie  interior  of  tlie  [x'liiusula,  ahove  referred  to, 
the  tiniber-iinc  over  the  whoh'  of  the  interior  of  the 
great  ai'ea  of  Ahiska  will  he  found  to  foih)W  the  eoast- 
line,  at  vai'ving  distanees  of  from  KM)  to  1 ')()  miU's  irom 
the  seahoi'd,  until  that  section  of  Ahiska  uortii  of  the 
Yukon  mouth  is  reached,  where  a  i)()rtion  of  the  coast 
of  Norton  Sound  is  directly  hordered  by  timber  as  far 
north  as' Cape  Denbigh.  From  this  ])oint  to  the  east- 
Avard  and  northeastward  a  line  may  be  <lrawn  just  above 
the  Yukon  and  its  immediate  tributaries  as  the  northern 
limit  of  timber  of  any  considerable  extent.  There  are 
u  a-reat  nnmber  of  small  water-courses  risins;  here  that 
find  their  way  into  the  Arctic,  bordered  by  hills  and 
h)wland  ridges  on  whidi  some  wind-stunted  timber  is 
found,  even  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea. 

In  thns  broadlv  sketcliing  the  distribution  of  timber 
over  Ahiska  it  Avill  be  observed  iiiat  the  area  thus 
clothed  is  verv  great :  vet  Avhen  we  come  to  consider 
the  quality  of  the  timber  itself,  and  its  economic  value 
in  our  markets,  we  are  obliged  to  adopt  the  standard 
of  the  lumber-mills  in  Oregon  and  Washington. 
Viewed  in  this  light,  we  Jhul  that  the  best  timber  of 
Alaska  is  the  yellow  cedar,  which  in  itself  is  of  great 
intrinsic  value;  but  this  cedar  is  not  the  dominant  tim- 
ber by  any  means;  it  is  the  exception  to  the  rule.  The 
great  bulk  of  Alaskan  timber  is  that  known  as  Sitkan 
sprnce,  or  balsam  fir.  The  lumber  sawed  from  this 
stock  is  naturally  not  of  the  first  quality.     These  trees 


'H 


grcut 


Til 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  TllElll  JXDi'STlilES.        'Ml] 

jjrow  to  tlicir  iirciitcst  si/.c  in  tho  Sltku  or  AlcxiiiuU'r 
Aivliiju'lag ).  All  iiitcrviil  otriirs  tVoni  Cross  Soiiiul 
until  we  pass  over  tiic  tjiir-wcallMT  gromid  at  tlic  foot 
of  Mount  !St.  Klias,  ujiou  the  region  of  Princo  William 
Sound  and  Cook's  Inlet,  wlu're  this  timltcr  again  occnis, 
and  attains  very  rcsju'ctablo  proportions  in  many  sec- 
tions of  the  district,  notaMy  at  Wood  Island  and  por- 
tions of  Afognak,  and  at  the  head  of  the  Kenai  penin- 
sula and  the  two  gulfs  that  environ  it.  'Vhv.  ahuiulance 
of  this  timl)er  and  the  extensive;  area  clothed  hy  it  arc 
rctidily  appreciated  hy  looking  at  the  map,  and  are  ren- 
dered still  more  impressive  when  we  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  the  tind)er  extends  in  good  size  as  far  north 
as  the  Yukon  Valley,  clothing  all  the  hills  within  that 
extensive  region  and  to  the  north  of  ('ook's  Inlet  and 
Kenai  ju'iiinsida,  so  that  the  amount  of  timh  i  found 
therein  is  i>reat  in  the  aiiii'rci^-ate.  The  size  of  this  spi'uco 
tind)er  at  its  Ijase  will  he  tyi)ilied  in  trees  on  l*rinc(!  of 
Wales  Island  .")()  feet  and  ovei*  in  height,  with  a  diam- 
eter of  at  least  three  feet.  Thev  have  not  <>-rown  as  fast 
as  they  would  have  i>;rown  in  a  more  conwnial  latitude 
to  the  s(nitli,  such  as  Puget  Sound  or  Oregon  ;  hence 
when  they  are  run  through  the  saw-mill  the  frequent 
and  close  proximity  of  knots  mar  the  quality  and  de- 
press the  sale  of  the  lumher.  Spruce  boards  are  not 
adapted  to  nice  finishing  work  in  Imildiug  or  in  cahinet- 
ware,  or,  indeed,  in  anything  that  requires  a  finish  and 
upon  whieh  paint  and  varnish  may  be  permanently 
a})plie(l,  for  under  the  influence  of  slight  degrees  of  heat 
it  sweats,  exuding  minute  globules  of  gum  or  rosin, 
which  are  sticky  and  difficult  to  remove. 

The  other  timber  trees  in  southeastern  Alaska,  Ka- 


II 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (AAT.3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)  •72-4S03 


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374 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  UIVER. 


(liiik  iiiul  Cook's  liilc't  may  he  called  exceptional.  l>ut 
one  very  valiialile  sjuries  of  yellow  cedar  [(-.  iiiilL-iiifn- 
.v/.s)  is  loiiiid  scattert'd  luTc  and  ther(^  within  the  Alex- 
andei-  .Vi'chipelaiio  and  on  the  ihirtv-niile  sti-i|».  Hero 
this  really  valiiahle  tree  is  t'onnd  at  wide  intervals  in 
«niall  clumps,  [)i'ineijially  aloiiijj  shoal  water-courses  and 
fiords,  attaining  a  much  i;reater  size  than  the  spi'uce,  as 
fVeipii'Utly  trees  are  found  l();)feet  hij;h,  with  a  diameter 
of  live  and  six  feet.  The  lnml»;'r  made  from  these  is 
exeeedinoly  valuahle,  of  the  very  iinest  texture,  odor 
and  endurance,  and  is  hiirhlv  prized  hv  the  cahinet- 
maker  and  the  ship-huilder. 

Tiius  it  will  be  «een  that  Uio  forests  of  Alaska  are 
alt(\i;(!thei'  coniferous,  as  the  small  hodies  of  the  birch 
and  the  alder  and  willow  thickets  on  the  lower  Yukon 
and  Kuskokvim  Rivers  can  scarci'ly  be  considered  to 
come  under  this  head.  Aside  from  the  yellow  cedar, 
which  is  rare,  the  timber  wealth  of  Alaska  consists  of 
the  Sitka  spruce,  which  is  not  only  abundant  and  large 
(trees  of  from  three  to  four  feet  in  diameter  being  (piite 
common  in  southeastern  Alaska  anil  Prince  William 
Sound),  but  also  generally  accessible. 

To  give  even  an  api)roximate  estimate  (»f  the  area  of 
timbered  lands  in  Alaska  is  at  present  impossil)le,  in 
view  of  our  incomplete  knowledge  of  the  extent  of 
mountain  ran<i:es,  which,  thoudi  fallini.'-  within  the  tim- 
bcr  limits,  must  bo  deducted  from  the  superlicial  area 
of  forest  covering. 

A  few  small  saAv-mills,  of  exceedingly  limited  capac- 
ity, have  been  erected  at  various  j)oints  in  south(>astern 
Alaska,  to  supply  the  local  demand  of  trading-])osts 
and  mining-cann)s,  but  finished  building  hunber  is  still 


THE  PKOVLi:  AXD  Til  Kill  INDl'STltlKS. 


Wii) 


lari-clv  iinportod  oven  into  tliislK'jivilv-liinlK'rcd  rciiioii. 
111  iill  wi'stcni  Alaska  Imt  one  small  saw-mill  is  kiinwii 
to  exist,  wliicli  is  on  Wood  Island,  St.  l*aiil  Ilarhor, 
Kadiak,  This  mill  was  lirst  set  ii))  to  supply  saw-dust 
for  packiiii;'  ice,  hut  siiici'  the  (•((lla[)s('  of  that  iiidii-lry 
its  operations  have  Ijeen  s|)asmodie  and  not  worth  meii- 
lioidn^-.  Luniher  from  l*ui»'et  Sound  and  Hritish  (  ol- 
iimhian  mills  is  slii|)pe(l  to  nearly  all  ports  in  western 
Alaska  for  the  use  of  whites  and  hali'-hreeds,  while  thii 
natives  in  their  more  remote  settlements  ohtiiin  planks 
and  hoards  hy  the  very  lahorious  proeess  of  splittiiii;'  lo^s 
^vith  iron  or  ivory  wedges.  ()ii  the  treeless  isles  of  the 
ShumaL;in  and  Aleutian  <;rou)>s,  as  well  as  in  the  south- 
ern settlements  of  the  .Vliaska  |)eninsul;i,  even  lire-wood 
is  iiujtorted  from  more  favored  seetions  of  the  territory 
and  eomiuiinds  liii^h  |)riees. 

The  fisheries  cover  a  very  lari;e  area,  hut  their  value 
and  importanee,  in  consecjuenee  of  the  limited  market 
ullordi'd  for  exjvortation  on  the  Paeilie  coast,  has  not 
been  fully  (levelo[>ed.  The  su[)ply  certainly  is  imjre 
than  ('(pial  to  any  demand. 

The  soil  of  Ahiska  is  not  sterile,  hein*;'  at  many  j)oints 
of  the  re(jiiisite  depth  and  fertility  ior  the  i)roduetion  of 
the  very  best  crops  of  cereals  and  tnhers.  The  dillieulty 
Avith  agricultural  progress  in  Alaska  is,  therefore,  not 
found  in  that  respect.     It  is  due  to  the  peculiar  climate. 

(Jlanciiii;'  at  the  m:i|)  the  observer  will  notice  that 
hydro_i;ra pliers  liave  deliiie<l  the  j)ass:i<»;e  of  a  warm 
current,  suflicient  in  voh»me  and  hi<;h  eiioui;ii  in  teiu- 
jK'iature  to  traverse  the  vast  expanse  of  the  North 
Pacilic  I'rom  the  coast  of  Japan  uj)  and  across  a  little  to 
the  southward  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  then  deilect- 


i 


t 


i;^    Bil 


37G 


ALOXa  ALASKA'S  GliFAT  JilVER. 


m 


i 


i 

t 

,(: 

ij'       ' 

ri 

^' 

i  i';! 

ing  down  to  tlie  m<»utli  of  the  Columbia  Kivcr,  wlicrc  it 
turns,  one  hrauch  going  uortii  up  along  the  coast  of 
JJritlsJi  ( 'oluinbia  hv  Hitka,  and  thence  a^ain  to  tiie 
westward  until  it  turns  and  bends  l)aek  upon  it^t'lf. 
Tlie  otiier  grand  arm,  eontiiuiing  from  the  liist  point 
of  bifurcation,  in  its  (piiet,  steady  flow  to  th.e  Arctic, 
passes  uj)  to  the  noi'theastward  through  the  strait  of 
Hehring.  This  warui  current,  stored  with  tropica!  heat, 
gives  rise  naturallv,  as  it  comes  in  contact  with  the 
cohK-r  air  an<l  water  of  the  north,  to  excessive  humidity, 
whicii  takes  forui  in  the  prevalent  fog,  sleet  and  i-ain  of 
Alaska,  as  noted  and  recorded  with  so  nuich  surprise 
by  travelers  and  temporary  residents  from  other 
climes.  Tlierefore,  at  Sitka,  and,  indeed,  on  the  entire 
seal)oai'd  of  South  Alaska  and  the  Aleutian  Islands,  in- 
stead of  lindiiiii"  a  dciii'ee  of  excessive  cold  cari'ied  over 
to  the  maiidand  across  the  Coast  range,  which  the  lati- 
tude W(»nid  seem  to  indicate,  we  find  a  climate  nnicli 
more  mild  than  rigoi'ous  ;  but  the  ])revalence  of  fog 
clouds  or  banks,  either  hauirinir  snrchariied  with  mois- 
ture  ur  dissolving  into  weeks  of  consecutive  rain,  so  re- 
tard and  arrest  a  ])roper  ri])ening  of  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles in  tiiat  climate  that  tlu;  reasonable  certainty  of 
success  in  a  garden  fVom  year  to  year  is  destroyed. 

When  we  look  at  Alaska  we  are  impressed  by  one 
salient  feature,  and  that  is  the  remarkable  distances 
which  exist  between  the  isolated  settlements.  It  is  not 
at  first  apjtarent,  but  it  grows  on  the  traveler  until  he 
is  profoundly  moved  at  the  ex|)enditure  of  physical 
labor,  |)atience  a?id  skill  re(piired  to  travei'se  any  con- 
siderable district  of  that  country. 

The  Sitkan  district   is  essentially  one  of  rugged   in- 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  Til  Ell!  L\I)i\'>TJ!IE.'S. 


.".77 


>',  wlierc  it 

('  coast  of 

ill    to    tllG 

|)()n    itx'If. 

lirst   |H»iiit 

I'.c  Arctic, 

strait  of 

•ical  licat, 

with   the 

humidity, 

1(1  rain  of 

I   suri)riso 

)iu    otlicr 

the  entire 

hinds,  in- 

rricd  ov(;r 

the  hiti- 

ite  niiicli 

ce  of  fou: 

ith  niois- 

in,  so  re- 

l    veii;(>ta- 

tainty  of 

yed. 

d  hy  one 
listances 
It  is  not 
until  lie 
j)liysical 
any  con- 


li'L^cd   in- 


equality, heinu;  nioiintaiiioiis  on  the  mainland  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  other  featuivs,  and  e<|ually  so  on  the 
islands.  It  is  traversed  here,  there  and  evcrvwlicic  hv 
bioad  arms  of  the  sea  and  their  hundreds  and  thoiisaiids 
of  lesser  ehaniu  Is. 

Land  travel  is  simply  impracticahle.  Xohody  <;oes 
on  a  road:  savaiics  and  whites  all  trav«'l  hv  the  water. 
Perha[)s  tlu^  greatest  humidity  and  the  heaviest  raiiifall 
in  the  Alaskan  country  occur  here.  The  eijiialde  and 
not  rigorous  climate  |iermits  of  free  navigation  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  it  is  seldom,  indeed,  that  the 
little  lakes  and  shallow  lagoons  mar  the  sea-level  are 
frozen  so  flnnlv  as  to  allow  of  a  winter's  skatiuii'. 

The  Aleutian  and  Kadiak  districtsare<juite  as  |)cculiar 
in  themselves  and  as  much  individiiali/ed  hy  their  gco- 
l()!>ical  aii'cand  formation  as  istheSitkan  division.  They 
hold  within  their  honndaries  a  range  of  irreat  lire- 
mountains — grumbling,  smoking,  «|uakiiig  Iiills;  some 
of  these  volcanic  peaks  l)eing  so  lofty  and  so  ini|)i'essive 
as  to  ilx  in  the  exj)lorer's  eye  an  image  sii|;crl»  and 
grand,  and  so  magnilicent  as  to  render  adeijual.'  descrip- 
tion impossible.  Like  the  Sitkan  district,  the  Aleutian 
and  Kadiak  regions  are  exceedingly  mountainous,  there 
beinii"  verv  little  low  or  level  land  eomi)ared  with  the 
sum  total  of  their  superficial  area  ;  but  in  that  portion 
extending  for  1,100  miles  to  the  westward  of  Kadiak, 
nearly  over  to  Asia,  bare  of  timber,  a  skeleton,  as  it 
"were,  is  ]^resented  to  the  eye  and  strikes  (;...'  with  a 
sense  of  an  individuality  here  in  decided  contrast  with 
that  of  the  Sitkan  country.  The  hills  not  clothed  with 
timber  are  covered  to  their  summits  in  most  cases  witli 
a  thick  crop  of  circuni])olar8phaginun,  intersj)ersed  with 


' 

!|l' 


'I 


I     l\ 


I 


I   i\ 


t 


^■: 


Oil 


ALONi!  ALASKA  S  a  HEAT  HIV  Kit 


!  :!: 


IM 


lii^ 

grasses,  and  ii  larn'o  flora,  luiiiht  and   licaiitil'iil   in   tlic 


:-i:;r.ijK'r  season. 


To   tl 


lol'ollL 


III 


y  aj-j-i-ccia 


W   I 


low   inucn 


moisture  in  ilie  form  of  f'oi;-  and  rain  settles  upon  the 
land,  one  cannot  do  better  tliaii  to  leave  tlii'  slii|>  in  the 
harbor,  t^r  tiie  j)ost  where  lie  is  stationed,  and  take  u[) 
a  line  of  niareli  through  one  of  the  nari'ow  valleys  ni'ai" 
by  io  the  summit  of  one  of  the  loftv  peaks,  lie  will 
stej)  u\nm  what  appeared  from  th(^  window  of  the  vessel 
a  fiiin  greensward,  arid  sink  to  his  uaist  in  a  shaking;, 
trenndons  bo«;',  or  slide  over  moss-^rown  shin^i;le,  painted 
and  eoneealed  by  the  luxni'iant  i;i'owth  of  erypto_naniic 
life,  where  he  expeeted  to  find  a  free  an<l  ready  path. 

''Tassini'-  from  this  distriet,"  says  Mr.  PetrolV,  "a 
verv  i'emarkid)le  re«'ion  is  entered,  which  I  have  called 
the  Yukon  aiid  th(>  Kuskokvim  divisions.  I  have 
durin;;'  two  summers  traversed  t!ie  major  portion  of  it 
from  the  north  to  the  south,  coidli'mini*-  manv  new  and 
Rome  mooted  points.  This  r(\i;ion  covers  the  deltoid 
mouth  of  51  vast  river,  the  Yukon,  and  the  sea-like 
estuary — the  Amazonian  mouth  of  another — the  Kus- 
kokvim, Avitli  the  extraordinary  shoals  and  bars  of 
.Bii;  tol  Hay,  where  the  tides  run  with  surprisini;- volume. 
The  country  itself  differs  strikiniily  from  the  two  divi- 
sions  just  sketched,  consisting;-,  as  it  does,  of  irren'ular 
mountain  spurs  planted  on  vast  expanses  of  low,  flat 
tundra.  It  is  a  country  which,  to  our  race,  perhaps,  is 
far  more  inhospitable  than  either  the  Sitkan  or  Kadiak 
divisions  ;  yet,  strange  to  say,  T  have  found  therein  the 
greatest  concentrated  j)ojndation  of  the  whole  Territory. 
Of  course,  it  is  not  by  agricultui'al,  or  by  mining,  or  any 
other  industry,  save  the  aboriginal  art  of  fishing  and  the 
traffic  of  the  fur  trade  that  the  people  live;  and,  again, 


y 


THE  J'KOI'Ll-:  AM)  TlIIAlt  JXlJlSTItUX 


.".TD 


I  ill  tlio 

w     IMllcll 

])<)ii   tli(> 
|>  ill  the 
tiikc  uj) 
:\vs  near 
j'lt'   will 
10  vessel 
iliakiii*;, 
painted 
toiiMiiiic 
patli. 
n,i]\  "a 
e  called 
I  liave 
1)11  of  it 
cw  and 
deltoid 
■'ea-like 
e  Kns- 
)ars   of 
oluino. 
o  divi- 
rciinlar 
w,  flat 
i;ij)s,  is 
Cadiak 
ill  the 
ritorv. 

« 

^r  any 
id  tlio 
Jigain, 


^vll<'M  the  rur-lx'ariiiu;  aidinals  are  taken  into  aceomit, 
the  ([iiality  and  voliniie  of  that  trade  arc  far  iiilciMor  to 
those  of  either  of  the  previously  naiiie(l  divisions,  and 
U(f  find  tlu^  natives  existinu;  in  the  iii'eatest  "ninher 
where,  aeeiirdiiii;'  t(t  oiir  nu'asnre  of  coiu[iensation,  tht'y 
have  the  least  t(»  j;ain. 

''This  country,  outside  of  these  detaelied  inonntain 
r(\<;'ions  and  spurs,  is  a  j;reat  expanse  of  hou.',  lakes.  \;\v<^o. 
and  small,  with  thousands  of  ehannels  ]>etween  them, 
and  sliiLi^ish  eurreiits  lilled  with  grasses  and  other 
aijueous  vegetation,  indicated  to  the  eye  hy  tlie  pi'eseiico 
of  water-lilies. 

"The  travi'ler,  tortured  l»y  mo<(piitoes  in  -;nmmer, 
hlinded,  confused  and  di^turheil  l>\  whirlini;' '  j)urnas,' 
snow  and  sleet  in  winter,  limlinu;  the  coast  rendered 
almost  in.accessihle  hy  the  vast  system  ofshoalinu'  wliicK 
the  current  of  the  great  Yukon  has  elfecte«|,  jiasscs  to 
the  interior,  wlntse  suiterlicial  area  comprises  nearly 
live-sixths  of  the  landed  surface  of  the  Territory. 

"  Here  is  an  immense  tract  reaching  tVom  l)ehring 
Strait,  ill  a  succession  of  rolling,  ice-hound  moors  and 
low  mountain  ranges  for  7<>(>  miles,  an  unhroken  waste, 
to  the  houndarv  line  of  IJritish  America.  Then,  again, 
from  the  crests  at  the  head  of  Cook's  Tnlet  ami  the  flanks 
of  Mount  St.  Klias  norihward  over  that  vast  area  of 
rugged  mountain  and  lonelv  moor  to  the  east — nearlv 
800  miles — is  a  great  ex|)anse  of  countiy,  over  and 
through  which  not  much  intelligent  exploration  has 
been  undcrtakcM'..  A  few  traders  ami  prospectors  have 
gone  up  the  Tennanah  and  over  the  old-estahlished 
track  of  the  Yukon  ;  otliers  have  passed  to  tlu;  chores 
of  Kotzehue  Sound  overland  from  the  Kovukuk.     Dosx- 


,^     ^;i 


i:    :li 


\    : 


ffT'' 


)m 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  (IliEAT  iilVER 


Klllt 


m 


sled  joiii'iicys  liiivc  Ih-cm  iimdc  I)y  tlicsc  w.mu'  |K'()|»1l' 
unioiii;'  llic  unlives  of  the  Kiisl<(»kviiii  aiul  iliosc  of  the 
const  Ix'twt'cii  I)ii>l(>l  IJav  ;in<l  Nitrtoii  Sound.  l>Mt  th'j 
trtidt'i'  as  lie  tr:i\'('!s  sees  ijolliliii;-,  I'cmciulK'rs  iiotliiiiu", 
but  Ills  ti-iidc,  and  rarely  is  lie  vapaMe  of  <iiviiin'  any 
deliiiite  iiiloi'matioii  lievoiid  tln' siiiiiic  item  of  liis  losses 


Ol'    Ills     !i,llllS    tlll'Oll 


-h  tl 


le  regions  he  niav  traverse- 


W 


know,  howevei',  eiioiin'h  to  say  now,  without  much  hesi- 
tation, that  this  !;i"< 'Jit  extent  which  we  call  the  interior 
is  hy  its  position  harred  out  I'roin  oecnpation  and  f^ettle- 
ment  hy  our  own  |ieo|>!e,  and  the  climatic  conditions  are 
such  that  its  immense  ai'ca  will  remain  undisturhed  in 
the  pos-ession  of  its  savaii'e  occupants." 

Thi'  fur  trade,  which  is  at  jiresent  the  most  impor- 
tant Alaskan  industry,  consists  of  two  n'enei'al  1  (ranches, 
the  ti'a  le  in  lautl  i'urs  and  that  in  the  I'urs  of  marine 
animals.  The  former  has  not,  in  late  years,  decreascvl 
in  volume,  though  u  decline  has  heeii  noticed  in  the 
su[»|>ly  of  certain  sections.  The  ho'.d  furs  now  exi)orted 
from  .Maska  consist  of  thi'  skins  of  hears,  hrown  and 
l)lack,  three  or  four  kinds  of  foxes,  includin<^"  tlic  very 
valuahle  silver  aiid  hlue  foxes,  otters,  martens,  heavers, 
minks,  nuiskrats,  lynxes,  wolves  and  wolverines.  The 
sea-otter  and  the  fui'-seal  supply  the  |)elai;ic  furs,  tlie 
seal  hein_n' l)y  far  the  more  iniportant  of  the  tw(».  In- 
deed, at  j)resent  the  fur-seal  constitutes  wholly  one- 
half  of  Alaska's  natural  wealth.  The  value  of  the  seal- 
skins shipju'd  from  the  Territory  and  si)ld  in  l']uropeap 
markets  duriuii'  the  tuxntv-three  years  of  American 
occupancy  down  to  IS',)!)  an-ii'repites  ahout  f^ >)*),()()( ),()()(). 
In  the  same  ])eriod  the  vahu'  of  other  furs  Avas 
5ii'l(),()l)l),0()(),  and  of    all    other    exports    only    iihout 


.1.. 


THE  rEOPLi:  .iXI)  Tiiiiin  ixdvstiuix      ;;>si 

^1  !,()()( ),()()().  The  c-amu'd  saliiioii  prndiit't,  wliicli  datts 
only  tVoiii  ISSI,  lias  aiiKtiiiitcd  to  nearly  S7,<l')(l,()()(>, 
and  the  valni'  of  tlic  ('(Ml-lisli  taken  since  l(S(;s  lias  Itei'ii 
I'nily  s:;,( )()(),( )()!>.  The  supply  of  llsli  <.f  varicus  kinds 
in  Alaska  is  praetieally  iiiexiianstllile,  l»iit  the  .vtoics 
lavished  upon  the  natives  of  that  eonntrv  hv  IxmiitiCul 
nature  fould  Jiot  he  more  wastefnilv  used  than  tliev  are 
iiov.  Any  development  in  the  ilshinn'  industry  must 
necessarily  he  an  .'mprovi'inent,  causiuii;  a  saving  in  the 
supj»ly.  Tile  ])roportion  of  Alaskan  lish  hrou^ht  into 
the  mnvlcets  of  the  civilized  world,  when  compare<l  with 
tlie  r'oii?-uniption  of  the  same  articles  hy  the  natives,  is 
So  Ve'-y  small  that  it  harely  deserves  the  name  of  an 
industiy  of  the  country.  'Jdie  liusiness,  howe\'er,  shows 
a  decided  tendency  to  increase  in  magnitude,  and  with- 
in the  last  lew  yeai's  tlie  shi|iments  of  salted  salmon  in 
l»aire!s  IVoin  the  Kadiak-Aleutian  divisions   iiave   heen 


i^teaddy  :nci'easni<;'. 
Next  in  imjtoi'tance 


tofi 


ii's  and  lish  are 


tol 


le  I'aiiked 


gold  and  silver.     The  first    L!,(»ld    ndnes  of  real    impor-, 
tauce  were  opened  at  the  end  of  1(S,S(),  near  the   pr(  si  nt 


settle  men 


t  of  J 


uneau. 


At 


ireseii 


t    tl 


lere   are   three  or 


four  _i;()ld  prodncini;'  (piartz  mines  which  sliij)  the  prc' 
cious  nutal  to  the  rnited  States,  the  largest  of  them  hc' 
ing  the  'i'nadwell  or  I'aris  mine,  whici 


1  suj»i)hes  a   mi 


11 


Avith  240  stamps.  There  are  also  j)aying  mines  in  the 
Yukon  rciiion  which  liave  i)ro<luced  for  .some  vears 
l)asl  o(,l(l  dust  to  tlie  value  of  from  SKM'KK)  to  ^'IKMHIO 
ii  year.  The  total  value  of  the  gold  found  in  Alaska 
since  iS(;7  is  uhout  ."j:4,(M )(),()(>(),  hut  jirohahly  as  large  a 
sum  has  heen  expended  in   the  same  time  in   prospect- 


d 


ing  ami  opening  una  eijuippnig  tlie  mines,    i  ne  annua 


th 


Th 


d 


.  1    i 


,'      ■  I 


Hi 


! 


.  ! 

j 

*  ■ 

I'f-t 

.'.At- 

ALOXd  ALASK.VS  (IIUIAT  UlVini 


()iil|»iit   of  silver  is    iiisigiiilic;!!!!,    amounting    to    only 
al))nt  s:;,0()(). 

Coal  has  liccn  (liscovci'c*!  in  vari(»ns  jtai'ls  of  tlio 
Tci-ritury,  l>nt  it  is  all  ot'tlic  lignite  variety.  ()nl\<)n(! 
of  the  vein-  is  at  |»r('M'iit  ojicratcd,  and  it  is  silnalcd  on 
Jlrri'ndci'n  r)ay,oii  the  north  side  of  the  Alaska  pcn- 
insnla.     Other  veins   near  Cape   Lishnrne   ai'e   nlili/ed 


l)V    lilt 


Ih 


l!)s  U 


hiel 


I  visit  that  I'eiiion  everv  veai",  hnt  ai'e 


not  ol!i('r\vise  systeinatieally  worked.  Larue  deposits 
of  eopprr  and  of  cinnahai'  are  known  to  exist,  l>nt  they 
are  f.ir  iidaiid  and  nol  reaijily  aeeessihie. 

Fi.Mirth  in  importance  ainoni;:  the  resonrees  of  Alaska 
nuist  he  raid-cecl  tiniher.  It  is  not  at  present,  howevei-, 
an  actual  sonrce  of  wealth,  since  its  expoi'tation  is  pro- 
liihited  hy  the  Tnited  States  (Jovernnieiit  and  even  the 
ntili/iition  of  the  forests  for  local  nse  for  lumher  and 
fuel  is  nnicli  I'estricted. 

The  whidinn;  industry  is  condncted  1)y  New  liedford 
and  Sin  I^'ranclsco  linns,  chielly  north  of  IJehrini; 
Strait,  hnt  cannot  pi'opei'ly  he  include  1  amoiiLi;  the  re- 
sources (»f  Alaska.  Diirini;'  the  season  of  l(S!l()  the  j)ro- 
dnct  of  this  indiisti'V  amounted  to  14,'")()7  harrels  of  oil, 
22(1,  lOJ  ponmls  of  whalehone,  and  'J,1><S()  j)ounds  ot 
AvalriH  ivory,  hesides  considerahle  quantities  of  hcavei', 
bear  and  white  fox  fui's. 

"  In  ihi-:  survey  of  the  wealth  ami  resoui'ces  of  Alaska 
the  o!)scrvcr  is  sti'uck,"  says  Mr.  Petroff,  in  tlio  census 
report,  "  with  one  rather  discoui'aLi'inu;  feature:  that  all 
the-!e  vast  rcsiairces,  the  product::!  of  land  and  sea,  arc 
taken  out  of  the  countrv  without  leaviuii;  anv  eciulva- 
h'nt  to  the  inhahitants.  The  chief  industries,  sucli  a? 
salmon  canneries,  cod    lislicries,  mines,  and    the    fur 


;    to    only 

rts  nl'  (ho 
( )iily  OIK! 
ilii:it('(l  oil 
l:is|<;i  |)('ii- 
I'c  iitili/c'd 
Ml",  l)iit  iiva 
y  <I('|)(isits 
,  but  llicv 

of  Alaska 
IiowcNcr, 
)ii  is  j)i'()- 
1  even  I  ho 
iiiIht   jiihI 

Bedford 
Px'lirlnu: 
[u'  the  re- 
►  tlio  j)ro- 
'Is  of  oil, 
tllllds  ot 
f  Ii(';i\-cr, 

if  Alaska 
|:;   ct'iisuR 
that   all 
sen,  ai'o 
('(jiilva- 
siu'h  at^ 
Itlie    fiu 


THE  I'KOPLE  AM)  TlIElIi  IXDCSTIilES.        383 

trade,  are  eanied  on  with  lahor  imported  into  Alaska 
and  taken  a\v:iy  anain,  thus  takini;  out  of  the  country 
the  wanes  earneil.  Kvery  pound  of  suiisistenee  foi-  theso 
lidtorers,  as  well  lis  all  of  the  elothiui;'  they  use,  is  car- 
ried hy  them  into  Alaskii.  'i'he  ship|»in_i;  (»f  .Vliiska, 
^vhich  has  hecome  of  considerahle  viihie,  is  also  cairied 
on  whollv  hv  non-residents  of  the  Territory,  and  thirf 
state  of  aifairs  extends  even  to  the  important  tourists' 
travel  to  the  southeastern  district  of  Alaska.  Not  oidy 
the  passa<i;e-money,  hut  the  whole  cost  of  subsistence  of 
these  toui'ists  duriny;  theii'  stiiv  in  Alaska  i'<ies  to  the 
California  owners  of  the  steamship  lines.  To  <;ive  an 
idea  of  the  ma<i;nitu<le  of  this  traHlc  it  is  oidy  nece!^sary 
testate  that  the  nund)er  of  tourists'  tickets  sohl  each 
season  exceeds  "),()()(),  each  ticket  representing^  an  e\- 
jK'uditure    of   not  less   than  JJrlOO,  making  a  total    of 

"The  insignilicant  ])ayinents  for  furs  and  labor  to 
natives  are  absorbed  entirely  in  the  ])urchase  of  small 
quantities  of  focKl  and  raiment.  The  spectacle  of  so 
vast  a  tract  of  country  being  thus  diained  continually 
for  twentv-thre(!  years  without  reeeiviuii'  anvthini'-  to 
.speak  (►fin  return,  cannot  probably  be  ecpialled  in  any 
other  part  of  the  United  States  and  |)erhaps  of  the 
World.  At  the  same  time  the  only  ])ros[)ect  for  Ji 
change  in  these  circumstances  by  innnignition  and 
settlement  of  people  who  C(mld  supply  the  demand  for 
labor  and  develop  the  industries  as  residents  of  the 
country  would  appear  to  be  still  in  the  far-distant 
future." 

The  fur-gathering  industry  still  holds  the  foremost 
rank  in  Alaska,  and  the  most  important  of  its  products 


i 


■* 


f  • 


'fT 


!l:;-| 


;mi 


iHln!!' 


i  ,<;'.' 


1 


384 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  CHEAT  UIVKIi. 


aro  the  ju'lts  of  tliu  Hcii-ottcr  iiiid  tlu-  fur-seal,  xt  is 
iiiiioiiu;  the  AUiitiiiii  islaiuls  tliat  these  iiiiiiiials  are 
ehiellv  taken.  'J'he  otter  is  widely  distrihiited  throuuli- 
out  tlieaivhi|»ela<;().  J>iit  the  fur-seal  is  taken  almost  ex- 
c-hisively  upon  the  PrihvlolV  or  Fur-seal  Islands,  wlieic 
thev  resort  in  ineredihle  nuinlx'is.  The  takinu' of  these 
interestinn' animals  is  e(Mitrnlled  l»y  tiie  Alaska  Cuni- 
mereial  Company,  wliieii  lias  enjoyed  a  Uionopoiy  of 
tlie  lucrative  trade  since  Alaska  came  into  the  ])ossession 
of  this  country.  The  actual  >V()rk  of  killini>'  the  animals 
and  remoyinu;  the  skins  is  done  hy  the  natiye  Aleutians, 
in  the  ( '(»m|)any's  emjdoy,  and  the  operation,  alheit  san- 
guinary, i>  highly  pictures(pie. 

Jn  foruicr  times,  says  'S\\\  lyan  Petroif,  tlie  Aleutian 
Ininters  j)rej)ared  tliemselyes  for  sea-otter  expediilons 
hv  fastiiiii;,  bathinu'  and  othei-  ceremonies.  The  sea- 
otter  was  helieyed  to  he  possessed  of  a  yery  strong  avei- 
sion  to  the  female  sex,  and  conse(|uently  the  hunter  was 
ohliged  to  sejKirate  himself  IVom  his  wife  for  some  time 
jn'ior  to  his  departure,  and  also  to  jti'cpai'c  the  garments 
lie  ^vas  to  wear,  oi-  at  least  to  wash  with  his  own  hands 
such  of  his  garments  as  had  heen  made  hv  women.  ( )n 
liis  return  from  a  successful  hunt  the  superstitious  Aleut 
of  former  times  \vould  destroy  the  garments  used  dui'ing 
his  expedition,  and  hefore  entering  his  hut  di'css  himself 
anew  from  head  to  foot  in  clothing  pre|)ai'e(l  by  his 
faithful  spouse  dui'ing  his  al)sence.  The  hunting  gar- 
ments ^vere  then  thi'own  into  the  sea.  One  old  man 
stated,  in  explanation  of  this  ])rocee(ling,  that  the  ser- 
otters  would  find  the  clothing  and  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  their  late  jxTsecutor  must  he  dnnvned,  and  that 
there  Nva.s  no  further  danger.      AVith  the  sj)read  of  the 


Jl 


'ill.  A  H 
iiiiils  nw 
tlin)U,<;li- 
liiiost  cx- 
ils,  wlicic 
;•  of  these 
k;i  i\m\- 
iiojxtly  of 
tosscssioii 
i>  iiiiiiii.-ils 
Vleiitiiins, 
IlK'it  sm- 

Alcutiaii 

:|)('(lltl()iis 

'riic  scii- 

mii'  jivcr- 

iitci-  was 

n\iv  time 

winncnts 

u  liaiids 

U'li.    On 

)iis  Aleut 

1  (liii'iuu; 

■i  liiinself 

by   his 


o 


Hg  i;ai'- 
hl  man 
the  ser- 
nc'lusioii 
11(1  that 
I  of  the 


Till':  PEOVLE  AM)  THEIi:  IXDLSTJiflX        .is.l 

C'liristiaii  relii;ioii  aiiioii_u,'  the  sea-ntlei-  hiiiiti  r-  iiin-t  of 
these  sii[ierstitioiis  ceremonies  were  ahnli-hed,  luit  e\tii 
at  the  present  tlay  the  sca-dtlcr  hnntei- ((cciiiiio  .1  |tri>m- 
iiient  position  in  the  e(»mnniiiit_v  and  enjny--  i;re;ii  xMial 
athantau'es.  Anythiiiii'  he  may  want  which  i-  nui  in 
the  possession  <»f  his  own  family  will  he  at  oiicc  .-ii|ipli>i| 
l»y  his  neiu'hhors,  and  we'd<s,  and  e\cn  monlli>,  a,rc 
spent  in  cai'efnl  prepai-ation  of  arms,  'aiioc^  and  im|)le- 
ments. 

'I'he  mode  of  Ini  tiiiu;  the  animal  has  not  e>-entiallv 
chann'tMl  since  the  i-arliest  times.  A  tew  privile;;(  <l 
wiiite  men  lovna'il  in  tln'  district  of  (  )nmia  cmphty  lire- 
arms,  I)nt  the  L;reat  Itody  of  Aleutian  hniUers>iill  retain 
the  s|K'ar  and  in  a  few  instances  the  how  and  arrow. 
The  sea-otter  is  always  hunted  hy  pai'ties  of  from  fciir 
t(»  twenty  hiihirkas,  each  manncfl  hs  two  hmitcrs.  I'ro.n 
their  villa,i;'e  the  hunteis  piocced  to  some  lonely  coa-t 
near  the  huntin^-uround,  either  in  their  canoes  or  hy 
schooners  and  sloojis  licloniiiii!;' to  the  tiadiiiL:  liiins.  a 
few  women  _<;'enerally  accompanyinu'  the  pai'iy  Iti  do  the 
housework  in  the  cam|t.  In  I'ormer  liinc-,  of  course, 
this  was  not  the  lase.  'I'he  tents  of  the  paity  are 
pitched  in  some  spot,  not  visihie  fiom  the  sea,  and  the 
iniuters  |)atiently  settle  (l(»wn  to  await  the  lir-t  faviu'ahle 
day,  only  a  smooth  sea  ju'riuittin^'  the  Iinntim;'  of  sea- 
(►tter  witii  any  pi'ospect  of  success.  Jn  the  inhospitahle 
climate  of  Alaska  ^'■eeks  and  months  sometimes  pass  hv 
before  tlu;  [)atient  hunter,  are  enahled  to  try  theii' skill. 
A  weatlierwiso  individual,  here  yclept  "  astronome," 
generally  aceomj)anies  each  party,  iiivini;'  due  notice  of 
the  ap[)roach  ol  favoiahle  weather  and  tlie  exact  time 
when    it  is  best  to  set  out,  and  few  xVleuts  are  bold 


it 


! 


n 


■\  '^ 


' 

f  1 

* 

i 
1 

'.1 

i 

1 

Yfr 


fT"''^' 


i:i'- 


ii 


Ir                      ::, 

1,  ^ 

m : 

'■■'Si 

1'   !   ■ 

:-;^ 

:i    .  ■ 

.J| 

'■  '*;.■ 

■■% 

Hi'"    ^' 

386 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


enowiAi  to  iK'iiin  a  limit  witliDiit  the  sunt'tion  of  this  in- 
{livi(hi!il.  .Vt  hist  the  day  arrives,  and  after  a  hrief 
]>rayer  tiie  Jmiiters  eiiihark  fully  cMniipped,  and  in  the 
best  of  s])ii'its  exehaiine  jokes  and  banter  nntil  the  beach 
is  left  lu'liind  ;  then  siieiiee  reigns,  the  peredovehik  or 
lea<l('r  assumes  e(»nnnand,  an-.l  at  a  signal  from  hinj  the 
bidarkas  start  out  in  a  semieirele  from  liftv  to  one  hun- 
ilred  yards  distant  fi'oin  (aeh  other,  each  linnter  anx- 
iously scanninii;  the  surface  of  the  water,  at  the  same 
time  liaviui''  an  eve  ui)on  the  other  canoes.  The  sea- 
otter  c()mes  u|>  to  tlie  surface  to  breathe  ai)ort  once  in 
everv  ten  minutes,  the  smooth,  nlossv  head  remainina; 
visilde  but  a  few  seconds  eacli  time. 

As  soon  as  tlie  hiniter  spies  an  otter  he  lifts  his  pad- 
ille  as  a  signal  and  then  points  it  in  the  direction  taken 
by  the  animal,  and  the  scattered  l)idarkas  at  once  close 
in  a  wide  circle  around  thesj)(>t  indicated  by  the  fortu- 
nate discoverer.  If  the  animal  comes  up  within  this 
circle  the  hunters  sim|»ly  close  in,  gradually  beating  the 
^vater  with  their  hands  to  ])revent  the  escape  of  the 
quarry  ;  but  very  often  the  Avary  animal  has  changed 
his  direction  aftei*  diving,  and  the  whole  fleet  of  canoes 
is  obliged  to  change  course  frecpiently  before  the  final 
circle  is  formed.  As  soon  as  the  otter  conies  up  wnthin 
spear's  throw  (me  of  the  hiniters  exerts  his  skill  and 
lodges  a  spear-head  in  the  animal,  which  immediately 
dives.  An  inflated  bladder  is  attached  to  the  shaft, 
preventing  the  otter  fi'om  diving  very  dee]).  It  soon 
comes  u])  again,  only  to  receive  a  number  of  other  mis- 
siles, the  intervals  between  attacks  ])ecoming  shorter 
each  time,  until  exhaustion  forces  the  otter  to  remain 
Oik  the  surface  and  receive  its  death  wound.     The  bodv 


,1  ' 


'  this  iii- 

•  a   brief 

lid  ill  the 

:ho  buach 

vchik  or 

iiini  the 

one  liuii- 

iiter  aux- 

the  same 

The  sea- 

t  once  ill 

einaiiiiiig 

^  liis  ])a(l- 
ioii  taken 
)nee  close 
lie  fortu- 
thin   this 
iitiiiij;  tlie 
)e  of  tlie 
changed 
of  canoes 
the  final 
p  within 
kill  and 
lediately 
le   shaft, 
It  soon 
her  mis- 
shorter 
remain 
[ho  bodv 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  INDUSTRIES.        o^l 

of  the  animal  is  then   taken    into   one  of  the  bidaikas 
and  the  hunt  continues  if  the  weather  is  favorable.     Ou 
the  return  of  thepai'ty  eacli    animal   killed  is  inspeetid 
by  the  chief  in  the  ju'esenec  of  all    the  hunters  and  its 
ownershij)  ascertained  by  the  sj)ear  head  that  caused  tlie 
mortal  wound,  each  weapon  beinij'   diilv  marked.      Tlie 
man  who  lirst  struck  the  otter  receives  from  two  to  ten 
dollars  from  the  owner.    The  skins  of  the  slain  animals 
are  at  once  removed,    laltelled   and    elassilied  aeeonlini«> 
to  quality  by  the  agents  of  the  trading  lirnis  and  care- 
fully stored  for  slii])ment.      It   frequently    happens  that 
a  whole  day  passes  by  without    a   single  sea-otter  being 
sighted,   but    the    Aleut     huntei's    liave    a     wonderfid 
patience  and  do  not  leave  a  place   once  selecteil  witlioui 
killing  some  sea-otters,  be  the  delav  ever  so  Ions'-,    riieic 
are  instances  where  hunting   ])arties   have   remained  on 
barren  islands  for  vears,  subsisting  entirelv  on  "aluu''' 
and  mussels  cast  from  the  sea.     On   the  |»riiici|)al   sea- 
Otter  grounds  of  the  ])resent  time,  the  Island  of  Sannakh 
and  the  neighborhood   of  IJelkovsky,   the   bunting  j)ar- 
ties  seldom  remain  over  four  or  live   months  without  se- 
curing sea-otters  in  sulHcient   numl)er  to  warrant  their 
return.     Single  hunters  have  sold  sea-otters  to  the  value 
of  eight  hundred  dollars  as  their  share  ()f  such  !>rief  ex- 
])editions,  but  payment   is  not  made  until  the  return  of 
the  party  to  their  home  station. 

As  soon  as  the  result  of  a  day's  hunt  has  been  ascer- 
tained, the  chief  or  leader  reminds  the  hunters  of  their 
duty  toward  the  diurcli,  and  with  their  unanimous  con- 
sent some  skin,  generally  of  a  small  animal,  is  selected 
as  a  donation  to  the  priest,  all  contributing  to  reimburse 
the  owner.     The  scliools  also   receive  donations  of  this 


I    ^1 


■1     "  H 


'I 


\       I 


r"ii 


*;  I 


lilll 


Ml 


I'll' 


E) 


!f: 


iI'M 


n.  i.'ii-' 


■■1 


388 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


kiiul,  and  the  skins  thus  (k'sioiiatid  arc  la heUcd  accord- 
ingly and  turned  over  to  the  trading  firms,  who  j)laee 
the  cash  value  at  the  dis[)()sal  of  the  priest.  Rivalry 
in  the  husiness  of  purchasing  sea-otter  skins  has  in- 
duced the  various  lirnis  U)  send  agents  with  small  assort- 
ments of  goods  to  all  the  hunting-grounds,  as  an  in- 
ducement to  the  mendu'rs  of  j)arties  to  squander  some 
of  their  earn ini>s  in  advance. 

The  method  of  killing  the  sea-otter  is  virtually  the 
same  in  all  sections  freciuented  by  it. 

The  killing  of  fur-seals  is  accom[)lislicd  entirely  on 
land,  and  has  been  reduced  almost  to  a  science  of  the 
greatest  dis[)atch  and  system.  The  able-bodied  Aleuts 
now  settletl  uj)on  tli  two  islands  of  Saint  Paul  and 
ISaint  George  are,  by  the  terms  of  the  agreement  be- 
tween themselves  and  the  lessees,  the  only  individuals 
])ermitted  to  kill  and  skin  the  seals  for  the  annual  ship- 
ment as  long  as  they  are  able  to  perform  the  labor 
efficiently  within  a  given  time.  For  this  labor  they  are 
remunerated  at  the  rate  of  forty  cents  ])er  animal. 
Life-long  ])ractice  has  made  them  ex])ert  in  using  their 
huge  clubs  and  sharp  skinning-knives,  both  imple- 
ments being  manufactured  expressly  for  this  use. 
These  men  are  as  a  class  proud  of  their  accomplish- 
ments as  sealers,  and  too  proud  to  bemean  themselves 
in  doing  any  other  kind  of  work.  For  all  incidental 
labor,  such  as  building,  packing,  loading  and  unloading 
vessels,  etc.,  the  lessees  find  it  necessary  to  engage 
lalxjrers  from  the  Aleutian  Islands,  these  latter  indi- 
viduals being  generally  paid  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar 
per  diem. 

The  work   connected  with  the  killin";  of  the  annual 


'd  aceord- 
^vlio  j)liice 
Rivalry 
IS  lias  iji- 
all  assort- 
as  an  in- 
idcr  some 

iially  the 

itirely  oil 
L'o  of  tlie 
3(1  Aleuts 
Paul  and 
iient  be- 
dividuals 
ual  ship- 
he  labor 
they  are 

animal, 
ng  their 
imple- 
his  use. 
)mplish- 

mselves 
eidental 
doading 

engaoe 
er  indi- 
e  dollar 

annual 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEin  IXDUSTRIES. 


089 


i 


c|uota  of  fur-seals  may  be  divided  into  two  dislinet 
features,  the  sej)aration  of  the  seals  of  a  ecrtain  age  an<l 
si/e  from  the  main  body  and  their  removal  to  the  kill- 
ing-ground forming  the  [treliminary  movements ;  the 
final  operation  eonsisting  of  another  selection  among 
the  seleet,  and  killing  and  skinning  the  same.  The 
driving  as  well  as  the  killing  eannot  be  don(>  in  every 
kind  of  weather,  a  damj),  cool,  eloudy  day  being  espe- 
eially  desirable  for  the  pur])ose. 

As  it  is  the  habit  of  the  young  male  seals  up  to  the 
age  of  four  years  to  lie  upon  the  ground  back  of  the  so- 
called  rookeries  or  groups  of -families  that  line  the  sea- 
shore, the  experienced  natives  manage  to  erawl  m  be- 
tween the  families  and  the  "  bachelors,"  as  they  were 
named  by  the  Russians,  and  gradually  drive  them  inland 
in  divisions  of  from  2,00()  to  3,00(i.  It  is  unsafe  to 
drive  the  seals  more  than  five  or  six  miles  during  any 
one  day,  as  they  easily  become  overheated  and  their 
skins  are  thereby  injured.  When  night  comes  on  the 
driving  ceases,  and  sentries  are  posted  around  each 
division,  to  prevent  the  animals  from  straying  during 
the  night,  occasional  whistling  being  sufHcient  to  keep 
them  together.  In  the  morning,  if  the  weather  be 
favorable,  the  drive  is  continued  until  the  killing-ground 
is  reached,  where  the  victims  are  allowed  to  rest  over 
night  under  guard,  and  finally,  as  early  as  possible  in 
the  morning,  the  sealers  apjK'ar  with  their  clubs,  when 
again  small  ])arties  of  twenty  to  thirty  seals  are  separated 
from  their  fellows,  surrounded  by  the  sealers,  and  the 
slaughter  begins.  I^lven  at  this  last  moment  another 
selection  is  made,  and  any  animal  appearing  to  the  eye 
of  the  experienced  Aleut  to  be  either  below  or  above  the 


'1.1   n^ 


i  i 


I  iff 


ti\  It  I 


390 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


M  ^ii 


.11  « 


flS 


specified  age  is  dismissed  with  a  gentle  tap  ol*  the  club, 
and  allowed  to  go  on  its  way  to  the  shore,  rejoicing  at 
its  narrow  escape.  The  men  with  clubs  proceed  tVoni 
one  ground  to  the  other,  inunediately  followed  by  the 
men  with  knives,  who  stab  each  stunned  seal  to  the 
heart  to  insure  its  immediate  death.  These  nu'U  ai'e  in 
turn  followed  by  the  skinners,  Avho  with  astonishing 
rapidity  divest  the  carcasses  of  their  vahiable  cover- 
ing, leaving,  however,  the  head  and  fiij)pers  intact. 
Only  a  few  paces  behind  the  skinners  come  carts  drawn 
by  mules,  into  which  tlie  skins  are  rapidly  thrown  and 
carried  away.  The  wives  and  daughters  of  the  sealers 
linger  around  the  rear  of  the  death-dealing  column, 
rea])ing  a  rich  harvest  of  blubber  wliich  they  carry 
away  on  their  heads,  the  luscious  oil  dripping  down  their 
faces  and  over  their  garments. 

The  kins,  yet  warm  from  the  body,  are  discharged 
into  caj)acious  salt-houses  and  salted  down  for  the  tinu^ 
bein<»;like  fish  in  bins.  This  treatment  is  continued  for 
some  time,  and  after  the  application  of  heavy  ])ressure 
they  are  finally  tied  into  bundles  of  two  each,  se(;urely 
strapped,  and  then  ship23ed. 


IN 


i<  i; 


>]<  ■■  „«; 


he  club, 
)ic*iii<^  at 
x'd  from 
I  l)y  the 

I  to  the 

II  are  in 
)iiishiiii>- 
'  eover- 
<  iiitiu^t. 
ts  drawn 
)wn  and 
3  sealei's 
eohnnn, 
J  carry 
^vn  their 

■harged 

le  tinui 

ik'd  tor 

ressui'e 

curely 


GEOGRAPHICAL    FL-ATURES. 

Accordiny;  to  the  terms  of  the  treatv  ))et\veen  the 
United  States  and  Uiissia,  the  boundaries  of  Ahiska  are 
as  follows : 

"  Conimencinjr  from  the  southernmost  point  of  the 
island  called  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  which  point  lies  in 
the  parallel  of  54°  40'  north  latitude,  and  between  the 
131°  and  1)>]°  west  loni;itude  (meridian  of  Greenwich), 
the  said  line  shall  ascend  to  the  north  aloimthe  channel 
called  Portland  Channel,  as  far  as  the  })oiiit  of  the  con- 
tinent where  it  strikes  o()°  north  latitude  ;  from  this  last 
mentioned  point,  the  line  of  demarcation  shall  follow  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  situated  ])arallcl  to  the  coast  as 
far  as  the  ])oint  of  intersection  of  the  141st  d('|L;Tec  of 
west  lonii'itude  (of  the  same  meridian)  and  finallv  from 
the  said  jujint  of  intersection  the  said  meridian  line  of 
the  141st  degree  in  its  prolongation  as  far  as  the  frozen 
ocean. 

"  With  reference  to  the  line  of  demarcation  laid  down 
in  the  preceding  article  it  is  uinU'istood  : 

♦'  1st.  That  the  island  called  Prince  of  Wales  Island 
shall  belong  wholly  to  Russia  (now  by  this  cession  to 
the  United  States). 

"  2d.  That  wheneyer  the  summit  of  the  mountains 
which  extend  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  coast  from 
the  oOth  degree  of  north  latitude  to  the  point  of  inter- 
section of  the  141st  degree  of  west  longitude  shall  ])roye 
to  be  at  the  distance  of  more  than  ten  marine  lejigues 


{ 


,31)2 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


i' J 


nr'i 


from  tlu'  ofciin,  tliti  limit  iR'twecii  the  JJiitisli  porscsssioii 
1111(1  tlic  line  (»f'  eoiist  whieli  is  to  heloiiii'  to  Uiissiu  us 
al)(»ve  mentioned  (that  is  to  say,  the  limit  to  the  posses- 
sions ceded  hy  this  convention),  shall  l)e  formed  ))y  a 
liiu;  parallel  to  the  windini;'  of  the  coast,  and  which 
shall  never  exceed  the  distance  of  ten  marine  leauiies 
therefrom." 

I 

The  honndry,  in  1(S2'),  when  this  description  was 
made,  was  a  theoretical  one  based  on  the  charts  placed 
before  the  nei;'otiators,  which  thev  donbtless  assnmed 
to  be  a  snbstantially  correct  expi-ession  of  geogra[)liie}d 
facts.  The  conntry  through  which  the  line  passes  wan 
then  snl)stantially  nnexplored. 

Mnch  survey  work  has  been  done  in  recent  years,  with 
the  object  of  determining  more  accurately  the  boundary 
between  Alaska  and  the  British  possessions  in  North 
America  ;  but  the  task  is  not  yet  complete.  The  general 
outlines  of  the  countiy,  however,  are  familiar  to  all,  and 
recent  maps  indicate  its  boundaries  on  all  sides  with 
substantial  accuracy.  The  whole  territory  may  be 
roughly  divided  into  six  parts,  as  follows : 

1.  The  Arctic  division,  containing  12'), 24")  square 
miles,  and  comprising  all  that  })ortion  of  the  North 
American  continent  between  tlie  one  hundred  and  forty- 
first  meridian  in  the  east  and  Cape  Prince  of  AVales,  or 
Behring  Strait,  in  the  west,  the  Arctic  (Vean  in  the  north, 
and  havinu;  for  its  southern  boundary  a  line  indicating 
the  watershed  between  the  Yukon  Tliver  system  and 
the  streams  emptying  into  the  Arctic  and  impinging 
ii])on  the  coast  of  Behring  Sea  just  north  of  Port 
Clarence. 

2.  The  Yukon  division,  containing  176,71'5  square 


GEOGIiAPIIIt'AL  FEA  TUItES. 


393 


miles,  iind  coinprisiiii;-  tlic  vjillcy  of  the  Yukon  Ilivcr  as 
iiir  as  it  lies  within  our  Itoiindarics  and  its  trihntaries 
from  tlic  north  and  sontli.  This  division  is  houndt'(l  hy 
tlic  Arctif  division  in  the  nortli,  the  one  hdinh'cd  t'orty- 
lirst  meridian  in  tlie  ea>t,  and  liehrini;,'  Sea  in  tlie  west. 
Tiie  sontiiern  honndary  'ies  aion^  a  line  indieatinii;'  tlie 
waterslied  between  the  Vnicon  and  tlie  Knskoivvim, 
Snshetno,  and  ('oj)})er  Kivei's,  and  rnns  from  the  ahove- 
mentioned  meridian  in  \\\v  east  to  tlie  coast  ol'  Iiehring 
Sea,  in  the  vicinity  of  1  la/en  I>ay,  in  the  west.  The 
ishmd  (»f  St.  Lawri'nce,  in  Jiehrin*^-  Sea,  'is  inchnled  in 
this  division. 

'.\.  The  Ivnskokvim  division,  containini;-  1 14,'.>7'") 
square  miles,  honmled  on  the  noi'tli  l»y  the  Yukon  divi- 
i^ion,  and  comprisinij;  the  valleys  of  the  Kuskokvim,  tlie 
To*iiak,  and  the  Xusjie^ak  Rivers,  and  the  interveninii; 
system  (►f  lakes.  The  eastern  boundarv  of  this  division 
is  a  line  runninii;  along  the  main  Alaskan  range  of 
mountains  from  the  divide  between  the  Kuskokvim  and 
Tennanah  Rivers  down  to  the  low,  narrow  isthmus  di- 
viding; MoUer  Bav  from  Zakharof  IJav,  on  the  Alaska 
])eninsuht.  Behring  Sea  washes  the  whole  west  and 
south  coasts  of  this  division,  which  also  includes  Nuni- 
vak  Ishmd. 

4.  The  Aleutian  division,  containing  ]4,(n()  s(piare 
miles,  and  comprising  the  Alaska  })eninsula  westward 
of  the  isthmus  between  ^[oller  and  Zakharof  Rays  ami 
the  whole  chain  of  islands  from  theShnmagin  grou|)  in 
the  east  to  Attoo  in  the  west,  inchiding  also  the  Pribylof 
or  fur-seal  islan<ls. 

5.  The  Kadiak  division,   containing  70,884   square 
miles,  ai?d   comprising  the  south  coast  of  the  Aliaska 


w 


'e 


HI     : 


i!  'i  i 


"  . 


m 


:i^'.  i 


)>'i'.j: 

wv 


.^n 


391 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  HI VER. 


jx'iiinsulii  down  to  Zakliarof  Bay,  with  the  adjacent 
islands,  the  Kadiaic  group  of  ishmds,  the  islands  and 
coasts  of  (  ook's  lidet,  tlie  Kenai  peninsuUi,  and  Prince 
William  Sound,  with  the  rivers  running  into  them.  The 
main  Alaskan  ranue  bounds  this  division  in  tlu;  north 
and  west.  Its  eastern  limit  is  the  one  hundred  and 
forty-first  meridian,  which  intersects  the  coast-line 
in  the  vicinitv  of  Mount  St.  Klias,  while  the  south 
shores  of  the  division  are  washed  l)y  that  section  of  th(i 
North  Pacilic  named  the  Cndf  of  Alaska. 

r>.  The  soutiu'astern  division,  containing  2(S,1)(S() 
square  miles,  and  C(»m|)rising  the  coast  from  Mount  St. 
Klias  in  tlie  north  to  Portland  Canal,  in  latitude  r)4° 
40',  in  the  south,  together  with  the  islands  of  the  Alex- 
ander Archij)elag(»  l)etwe('n  Cross  Sound  and  Ca])e  Fox. 
The  eastern  boundary  of  this  division  is  the  rathei*  in- 
definite line  established  by  the  Anglo-Russian 
and  Kussian-Amcrican  treaties  of  1824  and  1825 
resjK'ctively,  following  the  summits  of  a  chain  of  moun- 
tains supposed  to  run  ])arallel  with  the  coast  at  a  dis- 
tance not  jiTcater  than  three  maiine  h-anues  from  the 
sea  between  the  head  of  Portland  Camd  and  Mount 
St.  Klias. 

The  Arctic  division  is  situated  almost  entirelv  above 
the  Arctic  circle  and  is  known  to  exj)lorers  only  from 
observations  made  along  the  seacoast.  The  interior 
consists  doubtless  of  frozen  ])lains  and  low  ranges  of 
hills,  intersected  by  a  few  shallow  and  sluggish  streams. 
The  only  rivers  known  to  emerge  from  this  ])art  of 
Alaska  are  the  Colville,  the  Kok,  the  Iidand  or  Xoatak, 
the  Kooak,  the  Selawik  and  the  Buckland.  There  are 
many  villages  scattered  along  the  coast  and  others  are 


GEOGRAPHIC^ L  FEA  TUJiES. 


395 


adjacent 
lids  and 
d  Pi'iiice 
L'lii.  The 
ic  north 
Ircd  and 
)ast-line 
e  south 
n  of  the 

2,S,!)8() 
unit  St. 
ide  54° 
e  Ak^x- 
)e  Fox. 
ler  in- 
(ussian 
I  182.) 
luonn- 
a  dis- 
III  the 
Mount 

a  hove 
from 
t(;i'ior 
;es  of 
eanis. 
lit  of 
>atak, 
e  are 
3  are 


reported  to  exist  furtlicr  up  on  all  these  rivers.  Tlie 
coast  settlements  are  visited  everv  vear  l»v  manv  vessels 

t       «  •  t 

engaged  in  whaling,  hunting  aud  trading.  Their  in- 
hahitants  possess  great  commercial  genius  and  energy, 
and  carry  on  an  extensive  traltic  with  the  natives  of  tlu^ 
Asian  coast,  their  common  tradin^'-gi'ound  heini''  at 
Behring  Strait. 

The  onlv  mineral  of  any  value  that  is  found  on   this 

«  * 

coast  is  coal,  of  which  there  are  several  oood  veins  at 
i\{\)v  Lishurne.  The  chief  attraction  for  tiie  navigators 
who  visit  the  coast  are  furs,  oil  and  walrus  ivorv.  The 
whaliuii'  industry  is  alreadv-heijinninii"  to  decline*  here 
as  it  )uis  done  in  every  other  region  of  the  world. 
jNIany  seals  an;  found  here  and  polar  hears  are  numer- 
ous. A  few  reindeer  are  found  on  th{>  coast  and  moose 
iind  mountain  shecj)  are  said  to  he  lunnerous  in  the  in- 
terior. ]\Iuskrats  and  scpiirrels  ahound  every wheie  and 
their  skins  are  offered  for  sale  in  hirge  (piantities. 
Foxes  also  are  ])lentiful,  especially  the  white  variety, 
and  their  skins  are  much  sought  for  hv  the  American 
and  European  markets.  Afjuatic  hirds  of  all  kinds  are 
fouiul  in  countless  hosts.  The  only  fish  of  value  is  the 
salmon. 

Ahout  thirty  villages  are  known  in  this  region,  their 
total,  [)opulation  heing  a  little  over  o,()0(). 

The  Yukon  division  is  tlie  largest  and  in  many  re- 
spects most  im|)ortant  of  all.  As  this  volume  is  so 
largely  devoted  to  a  description  of  the  great  river  a- d 
the  country  it  traverses  little  need  be  said  regarding  it 
here.  Numerous  trading  posts  have  heen  estid^lished 
and  the  waters  of  the  river  are  plied  by  steamboat^s. 
No  mineral  deposits  in  large  paying  quantities  have  yet 


iii 


i'  i'l 


!l  I 


II 


896 


ALOXO  ALASKA'S  GREAT  lUVER. 


Urn  (liscMJvt'icd,  Imt  it  is  hclii'vocl  lliat  important  ^old 
iiiiiR's  will  yet  be  I'uiind.  The  river  ahoiinds  in  lish  and 
the  forests  wliieli  hordei'  it  in  _i;aine.  Ilii-li  as  the  iati- 
tnde  is  the  snMuucrs  are  verv  warm  and  the  veiictahlo 
<;i'owths  of  the  eonntry  are  Inxnriant.  The  coast  line 
ol'  this  division  is  partienlarlv  drearv.  It  is  inhul)ited 
hy  a  hai'dy  race  of  seal  and  wali'ns  hnnters,  who  oeenpy 
luimerons  small  villa,i;es.  At  Port  C'larenee,  jnst  sonth 
of  ('aj)e  Prince  of  Wales,  three  or  fonr  villages  are 
chistei'cd  aionnd  a  lini'  harhor.  Kind's  Island  orOuki- 
vok  is  a  small,  hiiih  island,  snrronndcd  l»y  almost  per- 
pendicnlar  clilTs  of  hasalt.  ( )n  it  is  a  village  comj)osed 
of  about  forty  honses,  which  are  sim|>le  excavations  in 
the  side  of  the  clills.  The  inhabitants  live  almost  en- 
tirely by  walrns  and  seal  hiniting.  On  the  .shores  of 
(iolovin  Sonnd  small  deposits  of  lead  and  silver  have 
been  found.  'I'he  most  important  |>oint  on  the  coast  is 
St.  Michael,  where  there  are  sevei'al  trading  agencies. 
The  Island  of  St.  Lawrence  l)elongs  properly  to  this  di- 
vision. It  had  originally  a  poj)nIation  of  about  ]  ,(MK),  but 
famine  and  disease  have  diminished  it  to  one-half  that 
iiumbei'.  The  |)eoj)le  are  Asiatic  I'>(|uimaux.  There 
are  in  all  this  division  of  Alaska  about  seveutv-live 
known  settlements,  with  a  total  |)opulati(;n  of  nearly 
7,000,  of  whom  ])ei'ha|)s  about  twenty-five  are  white, 
2,'")00  Athabaskan  and  the  rest  Escjuimaux. 

The  Kuskokvim  division  is,  on  the  whole,  jmmh*  in 
such  natural  products  as  Avhite  men  desire,  and  it  lias 
tlierefore  been  little  visited.  It  contains  a  few  mineral 
deposits,  however,  including  cinnabar,  antimony  and 
silver.  (lame  and  fur-bearing  animals  are  not  as  numer- 
ous as  ill  other  parts  of  Alaska,  but  there  are  many 


UKO  a  HA  PHICA  L  FKA  TUIiES. 


897 


ant  o(,lj 
t  iisli  and 
Hie  lati- 
kt'.i;('tal)Jo 
I 'list  Jino 
nliahitc'd 
'>  occupy 

l«t  SOI  J  til 

igcs  arc 
»r()uki- 

>.St     \)VV- 

•niposcd 
ions  in 
lost  en- 
ures  of 
n-  liave 
foast  is 
;'eneies. 
Iiis  di- 
00,  luit 
If  that 
J'liero 
t.V-iivo 
iieai'ly 
wliite, 

)<)r  ill 
t  ]ias 
neral 
and 
iiiier- 
nuiiy 


seals  in  the  sea  and  river,  and  minks  and  foxes  are  (piite 
nuinerons.  Many  salmon  are  also  found  in  the  river 
and  they  form  a  leadini;'  article  of  fo(»d  for  the  natives. 
There  are  nearly  a  hundi'ed  villages  in  this  division 
with  ahout  1>,()(I()  inhabitants,  nearly  all  of  them  heing 
Ks(|uimanx. 

The  Aleufian  division  comprises  the  western  |>arl  of 
the  Alaska  peninsula  and  the  long  range  of  islands  ex- 
tending toward  the  Asiatic  coast.  These  islands  appear 
to  be  merely  a  continuation  of  the  Alaskan  range  of 
mountaiiis.  ^lany  <»f  them  contain  volcanic  peaks,  some 
(»f  which  are  still  active,  and. all  the  islands  are  moun- 
tainous. The  soil  is  altogether  treeless  save  for  some 
(hvarf  willows,  but  there  is  a  luxuriant  urowth  of  urass. 
On  this  account  it  was  once  thought  that  cattle  could 
be  successfully  raised  here,  but  the  long  and  stormy 
winters  made  the  exju'riment  a  failure.  The  peo])le  of 
these  islands  are  doubtless  of  10s(|uiniau  origin,  al- 
though distinct  in  language  and  in  habits  fVom  the 
remainder  of  that  race.  Their  twenty-live  or  thiitv 
villages  are  inhabited  by  about  2,o()()  people,  pei'haps 
100  of  the  number  being  white.  Their  ])rinci|)al  in- 
dustry consists  in  lisliii.,^  and  taking  seals,  sea-otters 
and  other  marine  animals. 

The  Kadiak  division  <'o!iipriscs  the  southern  side  of 
the  Alaska  peninsula,  numerous  adjacent  islands  and 
the  coast  of  the  mainland  eastward  to  ^Nlount  St.  I^lias. 
Its  inhabitants  are  of  Esipiimau  stock  and  resemble 
greatly  those  of  the  Kiiskokvim  division.  The  coast 
is  freipiented  by  great  numbers  of  walrus,  which  animal 
provides  the  inhabitants  with  food,  material  for  their 
canoes  and  ivory,  which  is  used  for  money  and  as  an 


'i\ 


)i 


398 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  UliEAT  lilVER. 


oWicc't  ot'tnidc.  JMjinv  wluilcs  jiiv  also  taken  licro.  On 
tlic  land  tlioH'  arc  numerous  reindeer,  luown  bears  and 
I'oxes,  otters  and  minks.  'I'lie  island  of  Kadiak  lias  for 
u  century  and  a  (piarter  been  one  of  tlie  most  important 
jtortions  of  this  division  of  Alaska.  It  was  lien^  that 
some  of  the  earliest  Ivussian  settlements  were  ma<le,  and 
the  |i(»|»idation  at  the  present  time  is  eonsiderahle. 
There  are  several  viliaucs  devoted  almost  entirely  to 
the  hnildinn'  of  shi|»s  and  boats. 

North  of  the  Kadiak  i:;roup  is  the  ^reat  estuary 
known  as  Cook's  Jnlet,  which  was  ilrst  visited  by  the 
Ilussiah  traders  a  Iinndred  years  a<;o  and  was  the  scene 
of  many  des|)orate  conflicts  between  rival  settlers  as 
Avell  as  between  the  Russians  and  the  natives.  The 
natives  here  are  almost  giants  in  size  and  are  strong, 
active  and  warlike.  Their  houses  are  superior  to  those 
of  the  Kscpiimaux,  Ix'ing  constructed  above  ground  of 
logs  and  bark.  They  are  ex[)ert  fishermen,  and  the 
Avaters  in  this  region  abound  in  salnujn  and  other  fish, 
and  t"ie  land  in  huge  bears,  moose,  mountain  sheep, 
^volves  and  luimerous  smalU'r  animals,  while  geese  and 
ducks  and  other  wild  birds  are  found  l>y  the  million. 
Timber  exists  here  in  great  ;d)undance,  especially  in  the 
valley  of  the  Copper  River.  There  are  about  fifty  vil- 
lages in  the  Kadiak  division  with  a  po[)ulation  of  4,500. 

The  Southeastern  division  consists  of  the  narrow 
strip  of  coast-land  from  Mount  St.  Elias  souihward  to 
Portland  Canal.  It  is  densely  wooded  and  exceedingly 
mountainous.  The  coast  is  dee])ly  indented  with  bays 
and  sheltered  by  islands.  The  principal  trees  are 
spruce  and  yellow  cedar.  On  many  of  the  islands  of 
the  Alexander  Archipelago  coal  has  been  discovered. 


GEOaitAVHJCAL  lEA  TCh'IJS. 


.".i)0 


C\)|>|>('r  mimI  j;(>I<I  luivc  also  Imumi  foiuw!.  Tlic  t'ur  tnidc 
is  not  now  nciiily  as  valualtic  us  m  former  years,  al- 
tlioii*;!!  it  is  still  large  and  jtrolltaMe.  'I'he  waters 
swarm  witli  salmon,  lialiltnt,  lierrin*;-  and  other  tisli. 
The  elimate  is  not  nearly  as  cold  as  mi<;ht  he  expected 
in  this  latitnde,  hnt  the  rainfall  is  very  heavy,  an 
avcrane  of  '2'}i)  davs  in  the  year  heii:"-  stormv.  'i'hc 
fifty  or  more  villa«i;es  contain  a  total  |)o[)ulution  <»f  nearly 
8,()<M),  inclndinj:;  ahont  ^(M)  whites. 

We  know,  says  Dr.  (jTrc'\v<»ink,  the  eminent  linssian 
scientist,  of  no  more  extensive  theatre  of  volcanic  ac- 
tivity than  the  Aleutian  Isjands,  tiie  Alaska  jieninsida, 
and  the  west  coast  of  Cook's  Inlet.  I  Fere  we  have  con- 
fined within  the  limits  of  a  siiiijjlecentnrv  all  the  known 
])henomensi  c"  this  kind:  the  elevati(»n  of  nKUintain 
chains  and  islands,  the  sinking  of  extensive  tracts  of 
the  earth's  snrface,  earthqnakes,  erujttions  of  lava,  ashes 
and  mud,  the  hot  springs  and  exhalations  of  steam  and 
sul|)huric  i»ases.  Not  oidv  d<K's  the  geolo<ric;il  forma- 
tion  of  most  of  the  islands  and  a  portion  of  the  conti- 
nent point  to  volcanic  origin  or  elevation,  hnt  we  have 
dellnite  information  of  volcanic  activity  on  twentv-livc 
of  the  Aleutian  Islands.  On  these  islands  forty-eight 
craters  have  been  enumerated  bv  Veniaminof  and  other 
conscienti(His  observers,  and  in  addition  to  these  we  have 
on  the  Alaska  peninsula  four  volcanoes,  two  on  Cook's 
Inlet,  one  on  Prince  William  Sound,  one  on  Copjier 
River,  and  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Sitka  (Mount  Edge- 
combe) ;  three  other  peaks  situated  between  Edgecondje 
and  the  Copper  River  have  not  been  definitcdy  ascer- 
tained to  be  volcanic.  The  distance  from  the  Wrangell 
volcano,  in  the  vicinity  of  Copper  River,  to  the  Sitkan 


w 
I  '1 


I 


■i  I 


I1 1 

!;  h^ 

1 

!               I' 
■             f 

400 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  IIIVER. 


i  ''■ ; 


Island  is  1,505  nautical  miles.  AVu  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  the  Near  Islands  (the  westernmost  of  the 
Aleutian  group)  are  also  extinct  craters  ;  and  thus  we 
find  one  continuous  chain  of  volcanoes  from  Wrangell 
to  the  Commander  Islands  (Behring  and  Co])|)er), 
pointing  to  tlie  existence  of  a  subterranean  channel  of 
hiva  lindinij  its  outlet  or  breathing-hole  through  the 
craters  of  this  re<iion.  The  neai-est  volcanoes  to  the 
south  of  this  line  are  Mount  Baker  on  the  American 
continent,  in  latitude  48°  48',  and  the  craters  of  the 
Kurilc  chain  of  islands  on  the  coast  of  Asia.  That  a 
subterraiiean  connection  exists  between  this  long  line  of 
craters  is  indicated  bv  the  fact  that  Avhenever  volcani(t 
activity  grows  slack  in  one  section  of  the  chain  it  in- 
creases in  violence  at  some  other  point,  an  observation 
wliich  has  been  conlirmed  by  all  observers. 

From  all  information  on  the  subject  at  our  disposal  it 
appears  that  the  craters  of  Blount  Falrweather,  Cryllon, 
and  Edgecombe,  and  Mount  Calder  (Prince  of  Wales 
Island),  have  not  been  active  since  the  middle  of  the 
last  century,  and  as  the  univei'sal  law  of  volcanic  ac- 
tivity seems  to  ])lace  the  frequency  of  eruj)tions  in  an 
inverse  ratio  to  the  lieii>;ht  of  the  volcanoes,  we  mio-ht 
reasonably  expect  that  the  se.'ison  of  rest  foi-  these 
craters  will  be  a  prolonged  one  ;  but  how  terrible  and 
devastating  must  be  the  awakening  of  the  slee[)ing 
furnaces  when  it  occurs.  \\  ith  regard  to  Mount  8t. 
Elias,  we  have  manv  authentic  data  as  to  its  volcanic 
nature.  Belcher  and  Wrangell  consider  that  the  black 
ridges  descending  from  the  summits  of  the  mountains, 
and  the  fact  that  the  glaciers  n  Copper  River  exhibit 
a  covering  of  vegetation,  as  proof  of  the  volcanic  char- 


;S      ^    .  ,1 


GEOGUM-HICAL  FEATUIiES.  40I 

acto,.  of  tl,e  ,n„„„t.i„.     TI.e  li,..st  i,l,e„,„nc,,a  ,„ny  rest 
n.  .    y  „|.o„  „„  „i,t,e  ,lclu.,io„,  as  it  is  ,„.,t  at  all  ,.,,„!„ 
tlu,t  the.  I,lael.  s„v„ks  consist  of  iuva  or  aslu-s,  while  tl ' 
u,.|K.ara,K.o  ot  v,.g,.tatio„   on  the  surface  of  o.|aci,.,s  ,n, 
<-o,;per    uvcr  ,s  very  prol^ahly  ,h,e  to  the  fall  of  v,.!- 
eanic  ashes;  the  latter  ,,l,eno,„enon  may  l,o  tra,,,l  ■,, 
oas,Iy  a„,l  ,vi,U  far  n.oro  probability  to'the  A\-,       , 
volcano.  •~' 

Oneoftl,enK,sti,„,,res«ive  physical  featnres  of  the 
« hole  len.  ory  ,s  the  stupendous  glacier  at  JIuir  Inlet 
Jl  .  ico-fieW,  says  a  recent  writer,  enters  th,.  seu 
wi.U  a  front  two  or  three  hnncire,!  teet  above  the-  water 
;">;1  «  .-le  WKle.  Fancy  a  wall  of  blue  ice,  splint  ' 
into  cohnnns,  spires  an,l  huge  crystal  n.assL,  with 
grottoes,  crevK-es  an.l  recesses  higher  than  ]!nnk,.r  IliU 
Monnn.ent  and  a  mile  in  wi.lth  !     It  is  a  spectacle  that 

-s.r.,gely,x,n,tifnl  in  its  variety  of  for,ian,l,,,p 
ofcolor  amlatthe  saa,e   tin.e  awfnl   in   its  gran.lenr. 
An.l  not  a.one  ls  the  sight  awe-inspiring.      The    ice 
n.ountam  is  aln.ost  constantly  hn-akiug  to  j.icces  with 
^onn,ls  that  resen,ble  the  clis..harge  of  heavv  guns  or 
the  reyerberatmns  of  thunder.      At    tinu.s  In   ahnost 
.ea  euM,g  rep,,rt  is  heard,  or  a  succession  of  then,,  like 
thebelchn.g  of  a  whole  park  of  artillery,  when  no  out- 
™rd  efiect  ,s  .seen.     It  is  the  breaking  apart  of  great 
masses  of  .ce  w„hin  the  glaci.-r.     Then  .some  huge'l.er. 
topples  over  with  a  roar  and  gigantic  splash  th,;!    ma'y 
he  heard  .several  n,ih.s,  the   waters   being  thrown  alofV 
I.ke  sn.oke.     A  great  pinnacle  of  i.-e  is  seen    bobbing 

in  the  flood  before.  ,t  settles  down  to  battle  for  life  with 
the  sni,  a.id  the  elements  on  its  seaward  cruise.      The 


^: 


li 


«l 


II  yi    MT! 


i  !  s'i 


(■ 


1|! 


n;  ,  ii: 


!  r- 


402 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  GREAT  RIVER. 


waves  created  by  all  this  terrible  commotion  even  rock 
the  steamer  and  wash  the  shores  miles  awav.  There  is 
scarcely  five  minutes  in  the  whole  day  or  night  without 
some  exhibition  of  this  kind.  There  are  mountains 
each  side  of  the  glacier,  the  one  uj)on  the  right,  or  south 
shore,  being  the  highest.  High  up  on  the  bare  walls 
are  seen  the  scoriated  and  j)olislied  surfaces  produced 
by  glacial  action.  The  present  glacier  is  retrograding 
quite  rapidly,  as  may  be  seen  by  many  evidences  of  its 
former  extent,  as  well  as  by  the  concurrent  testimony 
of  earlier  visitors.  On  either  side  is  a  moraine  half  a 
^iiile  in  width,  fu:  rowed  and  slashed  by  old  glacial 
streams  which  have  given  place  in  turn  to  others  higher 
\\\)  the  defile  as  the  glacier  recedes.  These  moraines 
are  composed  of  earth  and  coarse  gravel,  Avitli  oc- 
casional large  boulders.  On  the  north  side  the  ma- 
terial is  more  of  a  clayey  sort,  at  least  in  part,  and  tlie 
stumps  of  an  ancient  forest  have  been  uncovered  by  the 
a"tion  of  a  glacial  rive:  or  overwhelmed  by  the  icy 
Hood.  8ome  scientists  claim  these  forests  are  in  reality 
j)re-glacial,  and  many  thousands  of  years  old.  The  in- 
terior of  the  great  moraines  is  yet  frozen,  and  at  the 
head  of  one  of  the  little  ravines  formed  bv  former 
glacial  river  discharges,  a  little  stream  still  trickles 
forih  from  a  diminutive  ice  cavern.  Nolwlthstaiidiuii; 
the  contiijuitv  of  the  ice  itself,  and  the  generallv  fris>id 
surroundings,  blue-bells  and  other  flowers  ^)loom  on 
the  moraine.  In  the  centre  of  the  glacier,  some  two 
miles  from  its  snout,  is  a  rocky  island,  the  top  of  some 
ancient  j.eak  the  great  mill  of  ice  has  not  yet  ground 
down. 

It  is  interesting  to  see  how  the  massive  stream  of  ice 


i)  ■  {. 


GEO  GRA  PHI CA  L  FEA  TURES. 


403 


111  on 

two 

some 

'(jimcl 

of  ice 


conforms  itself  to  its  shores,  separating  above  tlie  obstacle 
and  reuniting  below.  On  a[)i)roaching  or  departing 
from  Muir  Inlet,  the  voyager  may  look  back  u|»on  this 
literal  sea  of  ice  and  f()llo\v  its  streams  n[)  to  the  snow- 
fiolds  of  the  White  Mountains,  which  form  the  back- 
bone of  the  peninsula  between  (illacier  l>ay  and  Lynn 
Canal.  The  following  facts  relating  to  the  Muir  glacier, 
its  measurement  and  movement,  are  derived  whollv  from 
Professor  Wright's  notes.  Koughly  s])eaking,  ihe  Muir 
glacier  may  be  said  to  occupy  an  amphitheatre  which  has 
the  dimensions  of  about  twenty-five  '.liles  from  north  to 
south,  arid  thirty  miles  froi  i  east  to  west.  The  opening 
of  this  amphitheatre  at  Muir  Inlet  is  toward  the  south 
southeast.  It  is  two  miles  across  from  the  shoulder  of 
one  mountain  to  the  other  at  the  outlet.  Into  the  amphi- 
theatre pour  nine  glaciers,  and  the  sub-branches  that  are 
visible  make  the  affluents  more  than  twenty  in  luimber. 
Four  of  the  main  branches  come  in  from  the  east,  but 
these  have  already  spent  their  force  on  reaching  the 
focus  of  the  amphitheatre.  The  first  tributary  from  the 
southwest  also  practically  loses  its  force  before  reaching 
the  main  current.  The  main  flow  is  from  two  l)ranches 
coming  from  the  northwest  and  two  from  the  north. 
The  motion  is  here  much  more  rapid.  Observations 
made  upon  three  portions  of  the  main  glacier,  re- 
spectively 300,  1,000  and  1,;5()0  yards  from  the  front, 
showed  the  movement  to  be  1135  feet  at  the  first  point, 
C)5  at  the  second  and  75  at  the  third,  jier  day.  The 
summit  of  the  lower  point  was  a  little  over  300  feet 
above  the  water,  the  second  400  feet  and  the  third  con- 
siderably more,  probr.bly  500  feet.  The  motion  rapidly 
decreased  on  approaching  the  medial  moraines  brought 


l!^' 


■  1 


riL  I 


Ihlii 


404 


ALONG  ALASKA'S  aiilJAT  JilVER. 


down  ])y  the  branches  from  tlie  (>ast.  A  Ion:;-  i.  line 
moving  parallel  with  that  oi'  the  greatest  motion, 
and  half"  a  dozen  miles  east  from  it,  the  rate  ob- 
served at  two  points  was  about  10  feet  per  (lav. 
Tims  we  get  an  average  daily  motion  in  the  main 
channel  of  the  iee  flow,  near  its  mouth,  of  about 
40  feet  across  a  section  of  one  mile.  The  height  of  the 
ice  above  the  water  in  front,  at  the  extreme  |)oint, 
was  found  to  be  22()  feet.  Ijack  a  few  hundred  feet  the 
height  is  a  little  over  300  feet,  and  at  a  (piarter  of  a 
mile  400  feet.  A  (juarter  of  a  mile  out  in  front  of  the 
glacier  the.  water  is  85  fathoms,  or  .510  feet  deep.  T'uis 
Professor  Wright  estimates  that  a  body  of  ice  7o5  feet 
deep,  5,000  feet  wide  and  1,2(X)  feet  long  passed  out  into 
the  bay  in  the  thirty  days  he  was  there,  this  movement 
and  discharge  taking  place  at  the  rate  of  149,000,000 
cubic  feet  \)Qr  day.  He  says  that  r.fter  the  fall  of  a  large 
mass  of  ice  from  the  glacier  into  the  bay,  the  beach  near 
his  camp  two  and  one-half  miles  distant  from  the  glaciers, 
would  be  wrajiped  in  foam  by  the  waves.  One  of  many 
hirge  masses  he  saw  fi  'iting  about  projected  some  00 
feet  out  of  water,  and  was  some  400  feet  square.  Esti- 
mating the  general  height  of  tha  berg  above  the  water 
to  be  oO  feet,  and  its  total  depth  250  feet,  the  contents 
of  the  mass  would  be  40,000,000  cubic  feet. 


I 


I'l:  :: ; 


i..f*i 


APPENDIX   NO.   I. 


PROFESSOR  SERENO  WATSON's  "  NOTE   OX  THE  FLORA  OF 

THE   UPPER  YUKOX," 

(From  the  Science,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  February  20. 1884.) 

Lieut.  Schwatka  was  able  to  make  a  small  boianical 
collection  from  about  tl;e  head  waters  of  the  Yukon, 
which  is  of  considerable  interest  as  an  indication  of  the 
climate  of  the  region,  and  as  showing  the  range  north- 
ward into  the  Yukon  valley,  of  some  species  i)reviously 
known  scarcely  beyond  the  British  boundary.  Lieut. 
Schwatka,  ascending  from  the  head  of  Chilkoot  Inlet, 
crossed  the  main  coast-range  b}^  the  Perrier  Pass,  at  an 
altitude  of  4,100  feet,  coming  at  once  ui)on  the  source  of 
the  Y^'ukon  River,  in  latitude  59°  40'.  A  descent  of 
twelve  miles  brought  him  to  Lake  Lindeman  ;  and  upon 
the  borders  of  this  and  other  lakes  within  a  distance*  of 
twenty-live  miles,  nearly  equally  on  both  sides  of  the 
sixtieth  parallel,  the  larger  part  of  the  collection  was 
made,  between  the  12th  and  lath  of  June.  The  s\hh'[- 
mens  gathered  at  even  this  date  were  in  full  bloom, 
excepting  a  few  indicated  in  the  following  list  by  ])ar(>n- 
theses,  and  the  sedges  and  grasses,  which  were  well 
developed. 


Anemone  parviflora, 
Aquilegia  formosa, 
Aconitum  Napellus,  var., 
Barbarea  vulgaris, 
Arab  is  i)etraen, 
Cardamine  hirsuta,  var,, 
Viola  cucuUata, 
Lupinus  Arcticus, 
Rubus  Chamfpmorus, 
(Poterium  Sitchense  ?), 


Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi, 
Bryanthus  empetriformis, 
Kalniia  glauca, 
Ledum  lati folium, 
(Moneses  uniflora), 
Pyrola  secnnda, 
Dodecatheon  Meadia,  var., 
Polemonium  humile, 
Merten^ia  paniciilata, 

Polygonum  viviparum, 

405 


40ii 


APPENDIX. 


■'■i 


u  ': 


\-\  r'  '. 


t  !  : 


I:    1 


Saxifraga  tricnspidata,  (Botula  ginrti.ilosa), 

Saxil'ruga  leucaiiJlieniifolia,  (Almis  viridisj, 


P.iniassia  liiiibriata, 
Ribes  riibi'uin, 
Epilobimn  spicatiiin, 
Epilobiiuii  latil'olium, 
(lleiat'leuni  laiiatuni), 
Cornus  Canadensis, 
Antonnaria  alpina, 
Arnica  latil'olia, 
(Senocio  triangularis), 


fc^alix  glauca, 
iSalix  Sitcliensis, 
llabenaria  dilatata, 
Streptopus  roseus, 
Carex  (2  sp.), 
Dijyeuxia  Langsdorffii, 
Festuca  ovina, 
Lyco])odinni  eoniplanatum, 
Lycopodium  annotinuni. 


Vacciniuni  parvifolium. 

The  rest  of  the  collection  was  made  as  opportunity 
offered,  during  the  descent  to  Fort  Selkirk,  in  latitude 
62°  4,5',  which  jjoint  was  loached  on  the  13th  of  July.    It 
included  the  following  species  : — 
Anemone  multitida,  Galium  bcreale, 

Ranunculus  Flammula,  var..  Aster  Sibiricus, 
Erysimum  parcijlorum,       Achillea  millefolium, 


Cerastium  arvense, 
Arenaria  laterflora, 
Arenaria  physodes, 
Montia  fontana, 
Linum  perenne, 
Hnlysarum  boreale, 
Rubus  arcticus, 
Fragaria  vesca  (?), 
Potentilla  fruticosa, 
A  mela nch ier  din  ifolia^ 
Parnassia  palustris. 


Artemisi*^  vulgaris. 
Arnica  {iii)ina, 
Arnica  Chamissonis, 
Py?'ola  rotundifolia,  var., 
Primula  Sibiiica, 
Myosotis  sylvatica,  var., 
Pen  tsem  on  confer /us., 
Pentsemoii  r/Iaitnis  (?), 
Pedicularis  tlamnu^a, 
Chenopodium  album, 
Polygonum  aviculare. 


Bupluerum  ranunculoides,     Zygadenus  eiegans. 
Hordeum  jiibatum, 

The  species  new  to  so  northern  a  latitude  ave  marked 
by  italics.  The  season  appears  to  have  been  as  forward 
as  I  found  it  in  1808  in  the  lower  mountain  ranges 
rising  from  the  plateau  of  western  Nevada  in  lati- 
tude 40°.  SERENO  WATSON. 


OQI 


f:.3ai 


APPENDIX   NO.  2. 


COMPAlllSON    OF    THE    MOST    IMPOllTANT  IlIVKllS   OF   THE 

WOULD. 

(Pnuared  for  "  Along  Alaska's  Great  lliver  "  by  William  Libbey.  Jr.,  Professor  of  Physi- 
cal U.Oijiapliy  111  Princeton  College,  N.  J  ) 


Piivcr. 


Nile 

Anmzun. . . . 

Obi.: 

Yeiiesei 

Mississijipi. . 
Yang-tsi-  kiaii},' 

AiiKior 

MisKouri 

Lena 

€on{j;o 

Niger 

Mekong  

St.  Lawrence. 

Hoangho 

La  Plata 

Madiira 

\  iikoii 

Mackenzie. . . . 
Brahma  puotra 
Indufl  


Length  in 
miles. 


Their  (irder  iii  the 


3834 

1 

3750 

2 

3400 

3 

3330 

4 

31 S4 

5 

3()S8 

(i 

3006 

7 

2!)(I0 

8 

27hO  . 

!) 

2C09 

10 

2685 

11 

2C00* 

12 

2384 

13 

2305 

14 

2300* 

15 

2200* 

1(J 

2<  44 

17 

2000* 

18 

2000* 

19 

1850 

20 

IW.Hemis. 

N.Amer. 

1 

1 

2 

1 

3 

2 

4 

3 

5 
6 

7 
8 

4 

5 

Length  in  Drainage 
nnvigable      ana,  sq. 
i"ii'<'s.  niilcH. 


3623 


2354 


2400 


2300 


1,4:25,(100 

2.275.000 

1,42(1.000 

l.lSd.OOO 

1,214.000 

!)5(t.()00 

78(i.(KI0 

51.S.(I00 

1,000.000 

1,033,000 

1,023,000 

40(1.000 

40(1,000 

714,000 

1,242,000 

345,000 

2i  (»,(  OO 

590,000 

4r;0,000 

373,000 

*  Estimated,  hnt  closelv  known.  '  " 

a.!*^^ iV'ori!'^'  '•1^'"'*'  n'"k.^''  h^'t^  ™"'^''-    ''^*^i"K  "nly  the  amount  in  the  United 
States  (1.2fi()  miles,  all  ot  which  is  nuvigaWe),  it  is  the  tilth  river  therein,  the 
Mississippi,  Slissonn,  Arkansas  and  Ohio  rivers  being  longer 
Anthoiitifs  consulted  :  Bates.  Chavanne.  Guyot.  Havden  and  Selwvn,  Humph- 

lT,ia"."iA'\      '"r  ^^'V^:  Kloed.n.   Petermau,    Itoyal  Geographical"  Society    of 
England  (proceedings),  Stanley,  Wallace.  .-  o    t-  j 


3t 


2036 

1750 


407 


Hi;  .V 


|i»    "'•''   ■:' 


\ii''"^ 


I  > 

1 

1  : 

1 

1: 

li 

! 

i  ii 

I      t 

i  '} 

i 

i 
i 

1       ! 

't 

APPENDIX   NO.   ^. 


ITINERARY   OF  THE   RolTK    FUOM    THE    IIAIXES    MISSION 

IN    THE   CHILKOUT   INLET   TO   FOUT   YUKON. 

Stutiitc  MilcB^ 

Haines  Mission  to  tlie  mouth  of  the  Dayay  River      10. 1 
Head  of  eanoe  navigation  on  "  "  9.9 

Moutli  of  the  Noui'se  Kiver  (west)    .         .         .         .2.3 
The    Perrier    Pass    in    the    Kotusk    Mountains 


11.0 

0.6 

12.1 


3.7 

/5.8 
1.2 


(4,100  ft.) 

The  Crater  Lake  (head  of  the  Yukon  River) 
Camp  on  Lake  Lindeman 

(Lengtli  of  Lake  Lindeman,  10.1) 

Cape  Kokl(:'\vey 

North  ead  of  Lik>  Lindeman    .... 
South  end  of  Lake  Bennett  over  the  Payer  Portage 
Prejevalsky  Point  (  mouth  of  Wheaton  River,  west)  18.1 

Ricliard's  Roek  (east) 1.2 

Nortli  end  of  B  Minett  Luke  (Watson  Valley,  west)    10.0 

(Lengtli  of  Lake  Bennett,  29.3) 
West  end  of  Lake  Xares  (through  Caribou  Crossing) 
East        "        "        ''      (or  length  of  the  lake)      . 
Perthes  Point  (or  lengtli  of  Lake  Bove)     . 

Mouth  of  Tahko  River 

North  end  of  Lake  Tahko    .... 

(Length  of  Lake  Tahko,  18.1) 
Soutli  end  of  Lalve  Marsh  (or  length  of  connecting 

river) 

Nai'th  en  I  of  Like  M u'ih  (or  length  of  tliat  lake) 
Upper  end  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yukon 

(Length  of  tlie  Grand  (Jauon  and  Rapids,  4.C) 

Moutli  of  the  Tahk-heen'-a  (west)         .         .         .        23.1 

North  end  of  Lake  Kluk-tas'-si       ....     17.8 

Richthofen  Rocks  (and  river)       .        .        .        .        14.4 
418 


1.7 
3.2 

8.8 

7.8 

10.3 


9.1 

28.8 
50.9 


itiito  Miles 

K'.i 

9.9 
.     2.3 

.    n.o 

0.6 
12.1 

3.7 

5.8 

e     1.2 

0  18.1 

1.2 

10.0 

)     1.7 

8.2 

8.8 

7.8 

10.3 


APPEXDIX. 

North  end  of  Lako  Kluktussi 

(Length  ''  -  3G.5) 

Maiiiiou- Butte  (east)     . 

Ked  IJiitte  (west)      .... 

drizzly  Hear  Bliiils  (west) 

Mouth  of  the  Ne\vl)erry  River  (east) 

(east) 
(east) 


u 


a 


a 


409 
>■)»)  1 

1(5.2 
3.2 
9.4 
8.9 
38.0 
41.0 
10.7 
39. 1 
2.-).  4 
2.").  8 
17.0 
21.3 


a 


a 


a 


D'Abbadie 
Daly 
Parlvmaii  Pealv  (east)    .  _ 

Nordeiiskiold  liiver  (west) 
Kink  Rapids         ... 
Iloot-che-koo  Bhiff  (east) 
Voii  AVilczek  A'alley  (east)  . 
Fort  Selkirk  (west)  through  Ingersoll  Islands) 

(Total  length  of  river  explored,  480.8). 
(AH  of  the  above  are  in  the  1st  Part  of  the  Map,  Page  Ho) 
Mouth  of  the  Sehvyn  River  (south) 
"       White      " 

Stewart    "      (east) 
Daer  "      (east) 

Fort  Relianee 

Mouth  of  the  Chandindu  River 

''      Cone  Hill        -     (west)    *     .    *     .    * 

Roquette  Rook  (east) 

Klat-ol-klin  (Johnny's)  Village  (west)       . 
Belle  Isle  Station 

Boundary  line  between  Alaska  and  British  Ameriea 
(141°  W. 

(Total  length   of  Yukon    River  in   British 

North -West  Territory,  783.5). 
(Total  length  of  Yukon  River  in  Alaska,  1200) 
Mouth  of  Totondu  ... 

Tahkandik 
Charley's  Village  (west) 
St.  Michael's  Bar  or  Island        ... 
Fort  Yukon    .        . 


33.0 
02.1 

9.7 
Gr).0 

O.o 
12.0 
27.5 
13.0 
33.0 

1.1 

20.3 


(See  Part  2d  Map  for  above). 


10.0 
22.4 
29.0 
47.4 
97.0 


(Total  length  explored  and  surveyed)      .        977.0 


410 


APPENDIX. 


i 


Chetaut  "River  (north) 10(5.0 

Rjil)i(ls  in  tlie  Jlanipart.s  (Scniiti's  VillagH)  .         .  AD.O 

Mouth  of  Tanana  River,  south,  (Old  Nuklakayet)  :2S.() 

Nukiakjiyet  (nortii) IH.O 

(Total   length  of   raft  journey  on    Yukon 
River,  J:}():J.2). 

Nevvicar^ut  (south) 70.0 

Mek)ze('ai<;ut  (north) 5W.0 

Yuk()('ar«^ut  (south)    .  • 22.0 

Sakadelontin  (north) 10.0 

Koyukuk  River  (north) 5J7.0 

Nu'lato  (north) 22.0 

Kalta^- (north) :J7.0 

Hall's  Rapids 100.0 

Anvik  (west) 22.0 

Maknganiute  (west) 14.0 

Iko<jjmute  Mission  (nortli)           ....  77.0 

Andreavsky  (north) 100.0 

Aphoon  Village  (north) 105.0 

Coatlik 7.0 

Aphoon  month  of  Ynkon  River         .        .        .  5.0 
(Total  length  of  Yukon  River  from  Aphoon 
mouth  to  Crater  Lake,  2048.5). 
All  the  above  are  in  Part  3d  of  the  Map,  in  pocket 
of  book. 

DISTANCES   OS   THE   COAST   (fKOM   RAYMOND). 

Month  of  Aphoon  Outlet  to  Pikmiktalik      .        .  46.0 

Pikmiktalik  to  anchorage  off  Redoubt  St.  Michael's  27.0 
Distance   frcm    Redoubt   St.   Michael's  to    Fort 

Yukon 1039.0 


uimBm 


et) 


on 


10(5.0 

r)!).() 

18.0 


INDEX, 


n 


70.0 
.'{8.0 
22.0 
J  0.0 
37.0 
22.0 
iil.O 
100.0 
22.0 
14.0 
77.0 
100.0 
105.0 
7.0 
5.0 


46.0 
s     27.0 
b 
1039.0 


Agriculture,  57. 
i\iiis\vorth,  T.  C.  29. 
AhiskaCommort'ial  (.'ompaiy,  243, 

20.-),    208,    274,    277,    27H,    2M1, 

284,    800,    817,    821,    823,    HXi, 

38i>,  848. 
«'  Aliiska  "  (shin),  888,  889,  841. 
AUnitiiui  IslaiKi.s,  848. 
Aloxander  ArcliipehiKO,  31 
"Aloxy"  (half  breed  Russian  in-. 

terpreter),  274. 
Amazon  (Hivcr),  148.  349. 
Amoor  River,  118,  ;'49. 
Andreavslty,   822,    388,   885,  841, 

852. 
Anvik  (or  Anvic),   278,  314,  827, 

828,  880,   882,  852, 
Anvik  Indians.  827,  828,  829. 
Anvik  River,  827.  880,  831. 
Aplioon  Moutli  (of  Yukon  River), 

108,    109,    177,    279,   886,    387, 

852. 
Arctic  (references)  14,  75,  8?,  91, 

142,    148,    180,    211,    288,    278, 

281,    286,     291,   298,    809,    813, 

314,  888. 
Army,  Tiie,  10. 

Arrows  (see  bows  also),  231,  282, 
Astoria  (Orejifon),  11. 
Avalanches,  17,  22. 
Ayan    (or    I-van)    Indians, 

216,   217,   220,   221,   228, 

225,    226,  227,  228,   280, 

232,    288.   234,  237,   243, 

247,  249. 
Ayan  River  (see  Pelly  also),  227. 

B 

"  Barka,  The  "  (or  trading  schoon- 
er), 277,  278,  309,  313,  315,  326, 
S33. 


315, 
224, 
281, 
244, 


Barnard,  Lieut.  R.  N.,  321, 

"BHrral)oras,"  291. 

Barrow,  Point,  88S. 

Bates,    Mr.    (exploring   Tanana\ 

802. 
Baths  and  bathing,  125,  841. 
Bears,  24.  25,  84,  67,  91,  2v'(i.  251. 
Beai3,   black,  24,  25,  41,   02.  08, 

88,  99,  109,   180,   186,  200,  285, 

288,  289,  248. 
Bears,    brown,   (or  "grizzlv"  or 

"barren-ground"),  25,  4^1,  99, 

173,  174,  186,  248. 
Bella  Bella,  (Indian  village),  18. 
Belle  Isle  (traditig  station),    259, 

260.  269.  301,  302.  838,  851. 
Bennett,  Lake.  100,  101,  108,  107. 

108,  109.  Ill,  .850. 
Boring's  Sea,  118,  241,  277,  336, 

887,  34.8. 
Bering's  Straits,  117.  323. 
Berries,  41,  54,  180,  178.  235. 
Birch,  (trees  or  timber),  72. 
BocadeQnadra  Inlet,  18,  23. 
Boundarv  Butie,  2;;o,  2;il. 
Boundary,  The,  245. 
Bove,   Lake,  114,  115,  116,  223, 

350. 
Bows  and  arrows,  129,  231. 
British  Columbia,   12,  18,  14,  23, 

26,  117. 
British     North  -  West    Territory, 

frontispiece,  25,  226,  260,  281, 

351. 
British,  The,  306. 
Byrnes,  Mr.,  117, 118. 


Cable,  The  Atlantic,  117,  118. 

Canadian  Pacittc  Railway,  15,  22 

Candle-fish,  (see  Smelt). 

Canneries,  Salmon,   (see   Salmon 

oanneries). 

411 


f!! 


412 


L\i)i:x. 


Canoes.  M.  21,  22  21.  4'\,   IS.  r)2, 

6y,  ^>r,  58,  :.i»,  (12,  »'.;i.  (ii.  trr.  cit, 
70.  '.)■-'.  i»r,  100.  io(),  ii;{,  II c, 
iir,  lis,  111),  i.-,i,  !.•.(;,  ir.r,  icc, 

irs,  isl,  INS.  200,  220,  221.  22;{, 
221.  22'),  22S.  221>,  2:!2.  2;i7.  2:iH, 
2*1.  212.  2i:i,  2K).  2:. I.  2r.(i,  257, 
2:)'.>.  2(12,  2S.-.,  2110.  21t!>. 

Canon,  Gmiul.lseo  (iraiul  Ciifion). 

C'aril)oii  (woodland  reindeer),  5H, 
it:t.  i(«»,  127.  i:!o,  !.',(;,  iss,  2uo, 

220,  22S,  211,  217. 
Carihon  I'rossinfjr,  101).  11,3,  350. 
Cattl.'.  IS,  127.  2(JG,  2(i7. 
Cassiiir  Mines,  27. 
Cave  Itoek,  2.".1. 
Cedar  (.trees  or  timber),  23,  24,  57, 

Mi. 
Clia renal.  f)fi, 
Charley's    (Indian)    Village,  262, 

2iM.  :5.-)l. 
Chathani  Toint.  1(5. 
Cliatliani  Sound.  22. 
Chatlijini  Straits.  .'M.  .35. 
Clutant  Itivcr.  2111.  ;5.'i2. 
Clievenne  Indians,  r»l. 
Cl.ilkat,    Alaska,    12,    30,   40,  59, 

'.VAX 
Chilkat  Indians.  ;'.«.  .'}7.  3S,  31),  40, 

41.   42.   4:5.    4  1.    4r>.    40.    17   48, 

41).  .'iO.  .Tl.  .'!.•'),  .■)!.  .v.).  CO.  Ol.  (13, 

«s,  io;5.  113,  114.  128.  ir.s,  iro. 

177.    i;'<»,    20S,    21i).   227,    23;/, 

2.V.).  2(i!).  21!2. 
Chilkat    Inlet     11.    35,43,  41),  53, 

57.  101.  208.  278. 
Hiilkat  KiviT.  .".C,  CO. 
Chilkoot  Indians,  4l),   51.  54,  57. 

51).  (10. 
Chilkoot  Inlet,    35,    54,   57,    89, 

347. 
Ciiilkoot  Trail,   CO.    02,   70,  177, 

179. 
Clans,  Indian,  1)7,  il. 
Clayst(!nes.   121. 
Clin.;ite.  57.  2(!';. 
Coatlik  (i:>kiii;u  village),  33G,  337, 

352. 
Oodlish.  31.  47. 
Colnnihia    (River),    11,    30,    224, 

240. 
Colville  Kiver,  281. 
Cone  Hill  Kiver,  248,  351. 


Congo  (Kiver),  143,  340. 

ConKies.«(,  10,  11. 

'. 'oppcr,  41. 

Corwin  (revenue  entter),  327,  328, 

338,  3 1.3. 
Crater  Lak(\  frontispiece.   87.  H8, 

20S.  2rs,  350.  .3.52. 
Cremation    (Indian),   37,   38,  45, 

40. 
Cross  Sonnd,  13,  35. 
Cm-lew,  88. 
" Cut-oil"  elmnnels,  143. 


D'Ablmdie  River,  180,  190,  351. 
Dalv  Kiver,  11»0,  192,  351. 
Dayuy  Iidet.  57,  79,  89. 
Davav  Iviver  (and  valley),   57,  58, 

59,  "C);?.  05,  07.  (i8,  09,  72,  73,  75, 

77,  7J.  89,  350. 
Delta  of  the    Yukon,   280,    320, 

.3:15,  .3.30,  342. 
Deer,  .34. 
Deer  Creek  or  River,   243.    244, 

351. 
"  Devil-stieks."  54. 
Dielcennon  "Billy,"  103,  104,  107, 

i;s,  259. 
l)iseov(>ry  Passage,  15.  16. 
Diseases,  contagious,  292. 
Dixon  I'Jitraiice.  13,  2',i. 
Do-s.  2.-).   40.    48,    173,  228,  230. 

251,  2.52.  255,  285.  320. 
Do','s,    Indian,    25,    (59,    83,    128, 

2iO,  25(!.  294.  J'.OO. 
DoLCs,  Esliiino,  223,  250,  313,  314, 

317. 
Dora  (steamer),  343. 
Ducks,  91,  98,  158,  269. 


Eagle's    Nest    (of    the    Chilkats) 

Teak,  192. 
Edijeeuiiilu'.  Mount,  18,  28. 
Kei  pouts.  2-23. 
Knglish,  The.  105.     i 
Eskimo,    The.    48,    7(5,     100,    129, 

158,    223,  234,    24.3,    2(52,    270, 

2r7.    ?'M,    314,    331,   334,    339, 

310.  .341. 
Eureka  (steamer),  31. 


.*.; 


■■*f^r  1;  "^ 


IKDLX. 


4i:i 


Ft'i-ns.  :!'.'. 

ti.l.l  I'lak,  11(5. 

Fiii;:;iil'.s  Ciivc,  I(i5. 

Fiiilayson  I'hsmi;,'c.  'Jl, 

Fir  (trees  or  liiiilier),  lli.  14. 

Fislierics  (see  Saliiioii,  Cod,  IIull- 

iMit.  etc.) 
Fish  i)il.  -IS. 
Fisli  wiirs,    tnips,    nets,  etc..    4H. 

(i\  rjs.  I'Ji).  'J.-C.  'S>7,  L^>S,  2o'.\ 

21)1.  ;t(i(i.  ;5()().  ;ur). 

Fish  spciirs.  T.'i.  1(\. 
Fit:'.liiij;h^Soiiii(|.  ^H. 
"Fiiitiiniils"  of  tho  Yukon,  2(54, 

2(;i),  t'ri,  2r;i,  27(5,  279,  2ho, 

2i);5,  2'.t4.  ;5()().  ;{24. 
Flatlerv,  Ciipe,  JL 
Florida'  IManc  i,  IS. 
F'loiiiidois,  47. 
Flowers,  14.  .54,  110. 
Fly,  liirtte  "horse,"  125. 
Fogs  (or  mists),  21.  22.  26,  47,  54, 

7:5.  7:».  77.  711.  S4.  2.}S),  247. 
Fords  (river).  (iU,  (i!),  70. 
For-sts,  17.  ^;5r),  2t'^. 

"      tires,    l(iy,    185,  IbO,  187, 

IHO. 
Foxes  (skins,  etc.,)  50,  231. 
Frederickseii,   Mr.,  328,   329,  330, 

3:!1. 
Furs,  41),  59,  60,  231,  284,  285. 


Gales  (see  Storms). 
Gauihliiiy;,  Indian,  70,  71,  227. 
Gardens.  54,  307,  309. 
Geese,  290,  331. 
General  of  the  Armv,  10. 
Glaciers,  14,   21,   22,    27,   32,   34, 

54,  58,  59.    U8,    72.    SI,   a4,  90, 

103,  121,  239.  240.  297, 
Glacier,  Baird,  73.  75. 
Glacier,  Saussnre,  77.  79. 
Gloster,  Serg't.  C'has.   A.,  9,  127, 

21)'.). 
Gnats,  54,  120,  125,  223,  225.  234, 

27  ,  21)3. 
Goafs,    mountain.    :M,  81,  82,  83, 

8S.  109,  127,  180,  229,  235. 
Gold,  27.  41.    179,   180,   190,  203, 

212,  215,  317. 


Golovnin  Tay,  338.  339.  3|(>,  i:il. 
(iniiid  (.'iifutn  of  lilt*  Viikuii,  I'll, 

Ktl.    HI,'.     103.     1(;5,    1  <:(•>.     1(17, 

170.  ITI,  1115,  'JdO,  2C3,  ;i"i(l. 
Gra.-scs,  14,  17,  51,    KO,  i.(.0,  331, 

311. 
(Jrasshoppers,  110. 
(jlravlinir.  Hid.  KU.    1(i2.  108,  109, 

.1:0.  177.  1H4,  223. 
(irccidand.  12. 
(Ii'cnvilli'.  Channel,  22. 
(iroiisc.  (;:!.  91,  110,  HI. 
(inlf  ot  (icorgia,  15. 
Gulls,  91,  195. 


H 


Haeekel  Hill,  190. 

Haines  Mission  (see  Mission). 

Halibut,  47. 

Hall's  liapids,  320.  352. 

Hancock  Hills,  183,  184,  190. 

Hares,  191,  192. 

Harper,  Mr.,  30(5.  313. 

Harper's  Ferry,  224. 

Hen)lock.  32. 

Homaii.  Mr.    Chas.   A.,  9,   55,  (58, 

9(5.  99.    150.    203.  2-JO.  220,  231, 

245,    273.    278,   287,  300,    309, 

31(i. 
Hiicklclirrries.  31S. 
Hudson's  L5av,   01,  129,  277,  313, 

311.  339. 
Hudson's  Uav  (\)mpanv,  61,  117, 

121).    207,  "208.    211,  "212,   231, 

239.  240.  259.  279.  2S1. 
Hudson's  River,  16,  224. 


I 


Ice  (sec  also  (:'  "iers),  44,   80,  81, 

84,  88,  lus.  li  I,    136,   137,  191, 

247,  328,  338,  342. 
Icebergs.  14. 
Icy  Straits,  35. 

Ik'oginiitc  (mission).  328,  333.  352. 
Indians.  9.    18.  24,   25,49,   5S,  CI, 

(12,   (57.  (58.   09,   70.   71,    75.  Ml. 

81.   82.   84.  87.   92,  95,   97,    i:;;, 

110,    112,    114.    115.    123.     I-J9. 

i;53,  173,  234,  244,  245,  2G0,  2li.S, 

277,  :5.'9. 
Indian  caches,  291. 


4U 


INDEX. 


m  ^ 


V 


Indian  carvings  and  engravings, 

27,  3(),  41,  42,  43,  44. 
Indian  curiosities,  27.  127. 
Indian  funerals  and  graves,  37,  46, 

21."),    217,    219,    234,   288,    291, 

2!)2.  30,-),  818. 
Indiiiiiiie   (Cliillcat    Indian),   104, 

177,  200,  203,  249,  259. 
Indian  packers,  37,  38,  48,  53,  81, 

87.  88.  9.-).  100. 
Indian  village^  18,   36,  179  180, 

197,    199,   228,    £29,   246,    251, 

2S5,    298,   305,   315,  318,   322, 

324. 
Indian  women,  39,  40.  42,  231. 
Ingersoll  Islands.  201,  203.  351. 
"  Inland  Passage"  (toAlaslia),  12, 

15,  r,  18,  21,  26,  31,  35,  57,  90, 

103. 
Innoka  River,  326. 
Interpreters,  103,    104,  105,   245, 

258. 
Iron  Capped  Mountains,  101,  103, 

297. 


Jacobsen,  Captain,  343. 

Japanese,  The,  31. 

Japanese  Current,  21,  47,  344. 

Japanese  Island,  .'U. 

Johnny's    Village    (see    Klat-ol- 

Kliri). 
Johnstone  Strait.  16,  17. 
Juan  (lef  ucH.  Strait,  11,  13,  14. 
Juniper,  84. 
Junk  Niphon,  31. 


Kah-tung  (Indian    village),  228, 

229,  234,  237,  238. 
Kiaganee  Strait,  23. 
Kaiu;an  Village,  33. 
Kaltag,  324,  352. 
Kelp,  17. 

Kerchinikoflf,  321.  322,  323. 
Kia/M,  243,  314. 
Killi.snoo,  34. 
T'ing  William  Land,  313. 
Kit'l  iih'-gnn  (Indian  village)  197, 

199,  200,  227. 


Klat-ol'-klin,  (Indian  village),  253, 

255,    258,   259,    262,    264,   301, 

351 
Kluk-'tas'-si,  Lake,   178, 181,   183, 

184,  196,  350,  351. 
Kluk-wan  (Indian  village,)  36,  60. 
Ko  dewey.  Cape,  93,  350. 
Kon  ifl   Ayan  Chief),  230. 
Kootznahoo  Indians,  35. 
Kotusk  Mountains,  83,    91,  2Ci>, 

350. 
Koyukuk  Indians,  321. 
Koyuku!  liiver,  321,  3»2. 
Kovuk.k  Sopka,  321. 
Krause,  Drs.   Aurel  and  Arthur, 

90. 
KuroSiwo  (see  .Japanese  Current). 
Kut-Iali-cook'-ah       (see     Nourse 

River). 


Labarge,  lake,  178. 

La  Creole,  18. 

Laduo  "Jo.,"  262,  266,  269,  271, 

274. 
Lama  Passage,  18 , 
Launch,  steam,  "  Louise,"  53,  67, 

58,  59. 
Leavitt,  Mr.  (signal  observer),  339. 
"Loo"  (schooner),  328,  338,339, 

340.  341,  342,  343,  345. 
Lewis  River,  207,  20S,  212. 
Libbey,  Prof.  Wm.,  Jr.,  349. 
Lichens  (see  Moss). 
Limestones,  115,  182.  251 
Lindeman,  Lake,    90.   92,   93,  97, 

100,    113,   125,    126,    149,    204, 

297,  347,  350. 
Loring  Bluff.  193,  203. 
Lower   Ramparts   of  the    Yukon 

(see  Ramparts). 
Lynn  Channel  or  Canal,  12,  35. 


M 


Mackenzie  River,  281,  .349. 
Makagamute  (Eskino  \illage),  331, 

352.  4 

Maps,  55.  62,  118.  188.    19(5,    204, 

211,  245  249,  279,  281,  299,  300, 

302. 
Marmots,  112,  113. 


h"  JBfPwwB-Wf '  4,»'"'.'y^-^-  '"yw 


ti.'l'^iiTl 


IXDi:A. 


41o 


Marsli.  Litko,    ]2\,    122   124    1'>T 

i-^f',    1-^7,   12S,   lao,'  i;!i;  i.^V 
IM.  ;]-)(». 

ifastodous.  287. 
ilatlicws,  Miss,  ni. 
Mauiiuir  Biittr,  Jiio,  350. 
Mayo.  Mr.,  :m>,  ;JJ0. 
-Mc'C'liiito'jkliivur,  i;i() 
Mcintosh,  J.  B.,  Mi-.^  1)^  p(; 

Mc(^ucsliou  Jolii].  Mr.'  245  ^-IG 
277,  2s:,  2N2.  2S,S.  2S4,  ;{!h;7     ' 

MedicirioiiicTi,  Indian,  ."ir  15  40 
54,  225,  2;)S,  245.  241!. 

M('di('ini;-ni(;n.  Eskimo,  ;}4(l. 

M<'lozi'caru-Mt  (river),  ;!  10,  ;}17  ;55'> 

Mifliaelovski  (see  St.  Michaer'sj.  " 

Michi(3  MouMtain,  l.'JO. 

^lill)ank  Sound,  2!. 

Military,  The,  ;».  lo,  .-52.  321) 

Mission,  Haines',  54,  59,  ISS,  204. 
.'550. 

Mission.?,  Presbyterian  Board  oi; 

^Ii.ssis.sippi  River,  11,  144,  3;](;, 
>)4!). 

Missouri  Juver,  144,  349. 

^lists  t^.soe  Fogs). 

Monte  San  Jacinto,  IS 

M.mse,  ](»!),    127,    130,    156,    ISO, 
l-'^S,    r.M),    200,    220,    22s     '^31 
232,    243.   247,    201,     204,   2(;5; 
270,  301. 

Moo.se-noscs.  205. 

Moose-Skia  Moiuitain,  243.244. 

Mosses  and  lielions,  17,  32,  b'-j,  il)j 
207,  2i)7,  301>. 

Mos(|uitoes,   54,    57.    !)7,   !)!)     107 
m,  I-A125,  127,130,  143,155,' 
li)().  15S,  10.5,10s,  171,  172,173 
174.  1S3.  ISS,  1S!»,  IDS)   '>•>;■;   9:)4 

247,  203,  272,  273,  2S0;  293;  310; 


Alofhs  or  millers,  109. 
Muskrats,  155,  15S. 

N 

Xa  chon'-dees  (Indians),  228 
Niires,    Lake,  110,   113,    183,   223, 

.).)0. 
Xeaii  Bay,  14. 
Nchraska,  121. 


Neumann  Mr.   (Sup't  Oonalaska), 
313. 

^''.■!.','""I,'"'  '^Il'-l^^^ilp''  '^1.  Miehaels;, 

New  Arc'lian.ii'el  (Sitka),  2S. 

Xe\vl)erry  Biver.  190,  351. 

Xewicar-'ut  {ov  Froi--  River)  lUl] 
352.  ''    'I'*, 

"New  Baekett,"  1  river  steamer) 
317.  3 IS.  '' 

Nile  (l£iver),  1  i;!.  ;M;). 

Noo-klak-('>  (iudiaii  viUa-vi  ■>-10 
247.  "    '   '     ' 

Nordienskiold  Biver,  190.  192,  199 
35 1 .  '     •  •  > 

Noi'tliern  Tradinij  ('ompan\  •■'OS 
209.  305.  .  >   -     . 

Northwest  Tradin,i>-  Company,  5,3 
104,  'z\,>'.  '         ' 

Norton  Sound,  33S,  340. 

Norway,  12. 

Nourso' Biv.'r,  72,  73,  75.  79,  350 

Aiiklakayet,  2(i0,  20S  '>77  •>7s 
~^'^9,  305,  3(10.  ;!()7,'  312,"  .313' 
.'^1(5,  317.  319.  335,  35->  ' 

Nulato,   27*    27S,  321    3->^     •',•-'3 
324,  352.  '     '"    '  '  ■ 


0 


Olympia,  Washington  Territory, 
1 2.  "^ 

Olympian  Mountains,  13 

Ommaney,  Cape,  2S,  34.' 

Onions,  \vild,  no. 

Oniii/CNN,  314.  3i'0.  32S. 

Oonalaska,  342,  343. '344 

Otter  Tail  (of  the  Taiik-Iieesh) 
Beak,  192. 


Pad  fie  Coast,  15,  20.  2^,  35.  47 
Paeilie  Ocean.    11.   13    •J'l     ''>s    '!  I 

.•55,  11.5,239,344.     '       '  ~  '       ' 
Pai'iielia,  2S0. 
Parkas,  .323. 

Piirkmau  B(>ak,  192,  351 
Pastolik  River.  337. 
Payer  Portaye  and  Baiiids,  98   90 

101,  149,  350.  '       '      '       . 

Pelly  Biver,  01.  I04,  ISO  '->()3   90 -, 

2^)7,  209,  212,  215,  227,  234.'     ' 


!'■  I 


iiiT 


>i      ! 


If'i^ 


m 


41(i 


JXJWX. 


Prrii  Strints,  m.  ,'34. 

I'iTricr  i'iiss,  M,  S.'),  S!),  188,  ;U7, 

rcrtlics  Point,  ll.',,  IK),  t>-2:],  '].■")(). 
Pftcrscii,  Ciiptiiiii,   -Jir,  27'.),  ;Vo2, 

;i:!;!,  .-mo. 

Petersen's  Point.  ;5;]2. 

Peti'oir,  Ivan  (Special  A,u'cnt  Tenth 

Census),  ]  1,  :>{)•>. 
I'ine  (trees  or  timber)  -11,  58,  O.", 

UT).   12;,  ir,5,  iru,  172,  ito. 
irr,  ]S8. 

Poplar  (trees  or  tiniljerj,  GT,  70, 
1)2.  mn,  181),  IDi.  241. 

Poreiii)ine  (^or  Jiat)  liivcr,  280, 
2111. 

Poreuiiines.  21)o. 

Portland  Inlet,  2o. 

I'ortiand,  Oreiron,  10,  11. 

Port  Townseiid,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory, 1."). 

Potomac  River,  224. 

Prairies,  i;5.  1)7,  i2U, 

President.  Th(>,  10,  ;i29. 

Prejevalsky  Point,  l')7,  ;550. 

Priest,  The  Greek,  of  Ikoginute. 
oJ8.  •>.>.). 

Pu<retSonnd,  12,  1."). 

PiDita  Oeste  dt  la  Enlvadii  (h  I 
Prin<ij)(\  28. 

Putnam  Piver,  180. 

Pyramid  Harbor,  ;](;,  43,  150,  278. 


Q 


Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  18. 
Queen  (."liarlotte  Sound,  i;3,  1."),  U!, 
17,  18. 


Raft,  the,  23,  61.  ('.2,  91.  95,  96, 
97.  1)8,  99,  10(1.  103.  1  ().■;,  106, 
107.  lOS  110,  116.  117,  122,  124, 
126,  i;!0,  131,  i;?2,  133,  136,137, 
131),  140,  144.  U.*),  147,  148,  149, 
150,  IT)!,  152,  154,  155,  156,  157, 
159,  160,  Kil,  162,  165,  166,  167, 
168,  17•^  178,  185,  192,  195,  199, 
200,  225,  235.  236,  238,  241,  24?, 
246,  248,  2(;2.  270,  272,  275,  277, 
291,309.  3i2,  315. 


Rain,    21,   47,   63,   105.  123,  l.-.O. 

156,  158,  184,  234,  237.  2;]9,  212, 

247,  251,  2(iO.  261,  287. 
Ramparts,      Lower      (ot      Yukon 

Rivi'r).  2.58.   274,  280,   288.  2MI. 

21)0.293,    29.5,    298,  '  299,    3(i(;, 

;!5j. 
Ramparts.    U])i)er,   207,  21.5,  231. 

2.".1).  245,  247,  260,  265,  274.  21>3, 

299. 
Rapids,  60,   62,   98.  154,  159,  160, 

162,  {():),  167,  i(i8,  169.  176,  177, 

185,  192,  223,  240,  281),  295,  298, 

350,  352. 
Rat  River  (see  Porcu])ine  River). 
Rat/.el  Rani,'e.  or  Peaks.  270. 
Ray,   P.    H.,  Lieut.    P.  IS.  A.,  180, 

33S,  342. 
Ravmond,   Cap^,   U.   S.  A.,   151, 

15(i,  157,  18v),2r;),  29K   300,  3.52. 
Red  Itiver  (of  'ndir    ;;    see  Richt- 

liof(!ii  River 
Reindeer,  291,  ..  -',),  ■':.•.. 
Reindeer,  .spotted,  ot  Asia,  323. 
i'L(.'in(iv,er,  woodland,  see  Caribou, 
lielianoe.  Fort,  244,  245,  246,  249, 

351. 
itiehards' Rock,  108,  350. 
iiiehthofeii  Red  Roeks  and  River, 

182,  3,50. 
Rink  Rapid.s,   175,  191.   195,   199, 

351. 
Rockwell,  Capt.  Cleveland,  29. 
Uoeky  Mountains,  207. 
iJoniantzotf  Mountains,  273. 
Uoinautzoft'  Point.  3.37. 
Uo.sebuds,  272.  293. 
Roth,  Priv.  John,  U.S.  A.,  !).•.:.!, 

Itoipietto  Roek.  249,  250.  3,.--  . 

I^viissia,  2^3,  333. 

Russian  Amer'oan  Fur  Compauv. 

.'.21,  322. 
Russians,  The,  2^.  31.  47.  105   246. 

265.  279,  280,281,  309,  32  i,  322, 

340,  341. 

Sakadelontin  (Indian  villace\  318. 

:!52. 
Salisbury  Sti  ijt,  '  4. 


^#i1:    \h 


'■'•'^  -  ir-^j''Br^'':s'^<'mKKmvr%'A^ili 


INDEX. 


417 


Salmon.  2'2.  •*{,  IJC,  44,  <7  4S  4<) 
or.  71).  111.  Ill),  !:_'(),  j;.,)  ',-y 
21)0,  L>:>:!,  2-^S,  2:ii),  2.-.:..  :.^.-,(;  ->:,- 
•■i->\  -J.v.).  ^iOl,  2t;r),  -JDI.  ;{()(),  :j().-,, 
:i'";,  ;5|:t,  :U5,  310,  ;j:!|. 

bnhnon  (.•aiini>ries,  11,  2'i,  ^JO,  40, 
4^  41,  u:i.  208. 

Siiliitiii-,'  dndians),  24(;. 

y.aiiil  Uivci-.  SCO  \Vliit(>  iiiver. 

Han  Fmneiseo,  2G8,  :}]r,  U38,  ;J42, 

•  ilo. 

Saranae  (!'.  S.  man-of-war),  ](!. 
Sclh'ffeliii    Jk'others    (prospoctino- 

^nkon).  ,S17. 
Seicntilic  matters,  9,  90,  151,  204 

2()S,  211,  227.  ;?47.  ' 

Scaroi-tliClianiU'l,  JS. 
Sca-ottci's.  2n. 
Sivivtary  of  War.  Tlio,  10. 
Sediment,    (river,    lake,   etc.)    39 

1-i  1,122,  12r..  1S1.;3.-G.     ^7        ' 
Seduction,  Point.  57. 
Selkirlc.    Fort.  (U.  J04.    .    J.    117 

IIS,  125.  175,  17S,  ISO,  i9(;.  200' 

J'l.S,  2(1.1.  205,  207,  2()S,  211    •>|->" 

•-'K},2!(;.  217.22:},224.  2:w;2;34; 

p:i,  -UiK  247.  27S.  -us,  ;J5i.       ' 
Sclwyn  Kiv(!r,  2o5.  ;j5l. 
Scinciiow  Mountains,  ] bo. 
Seiiati  (Indian  Chief),  2s"( 
Senati's  Villajfe,  28!).  29y,'352 
Soyniour  Narrows,  15. 
Siiajjfclook'  Indians,  .'528.  ,'329. 
Slin,ij;olook  Sloufjjh.  ;52(5. " 
Sliamans,  see  -Medicine-men 

Slidt-rich  (Clulkat  Cliief),  38  00 

Sdver,  IW,  41.  179.  ;};]8. 

Sioux  Indians.  51.  219 

Sitka.  18.  28.  29.  ;5l.  46,  322. 

Skeena  Itdet.  22. 

Slaves   (Indian),  and  .slavery,  38, 

•^'edi^'es.  220.  259,  318 

Sm.'lt  (fish),  J 7. 

Smok-"s.  si<,nid,  J 14.  115.  120,  1(;8 

Snags,  i44. 

JSnow,    13,    14.   21,  44.  45.   54   58 

•■>9,  81.  ^2,  83,  84.  87.  88   17-»' 

188.  192,  2;i4.  239.  2m. 
Snow-shoes.  87,  259. 
Soil,  57,  2(i(;,  297'  309. 


Soonear^nt  (river),  .'lin. 

Spanish  explorers  of    Alaska,    17 

|S.  28. 

S[)i'uce  (trees  or  timlier).  14.  32.  40 
44.  58,  O;;,  75.  84.  95,  114  '"|-->5' 
I. "IS,  155.  159.  1(;5.  ICS,  17|",  ]7:>| 
177,  ISO.  iss.  219  ■■'•••s  •^•x)' •>•>]' 
211,  2t2,  252.  270,  2n7  ' 

Spuhii.  Mr.  C'lrl.  5;!,  51.  ' 

St.  Klias,  .Mount,  23.  :!5. 

Stewart  liivcr,  207   •'■-'7   -^-'s    -^U 
249,  351.  >  -  ,   -M, 

Slicke(!n  liivcr,  27.  28. 

"Stick"  Indians,   see  Taid<-lieesli. 

St.  Michael's  UedonJir  ]->i  -^j-, 
2(;5,  278.  ;!22.  :;27.  328.  .3;!()  33'>' 
:m,  335,  331!.  337,  339,  340,  342^ 

"St.    Michaers"    (river  . steamer), 

2(18,  2(!9.  278.  332.  333    335 
''Stone  Houses."'  Tiie.  81. 

Stomy.  Lieut.,  I'.  S.  N'..  /so. 

Storms  (and  o;ales),   17   •^    •-'8   89 
'•"'.   !>-\  97,    105.    11(;.^123,  'l4->' 
•i'^O,  287,  297.  31.5.  3 1 C.  318  VrKi 
;i24.  325.  32(;,  332.  337,  342.    '  ' 

St.  I'aid  (ocean  s(eanierj,  343. 

Sumner  Strait,  28. 

"Siinflou's."see  Parhelia. 

Swallows,  ss. 

"Sweepers,"  134,  142. 


Tadoosh  (Indians    and    villajjes), 

Ta!i-heen'-ii  (river),  189. 
Tahk-heen'-a.  or  Tahk  River  177 
^^  189.  190,  350.  '        ' 

Tahk-heesh' (Stick)  Indians,  59  (!1 

(i2,  (i3.  83,  91,  92.  100,  104,  105! 

109,  113,  114.  lie,  lis  11!)    v>() 

nr,  129,  15(i,  157.  159.  lOl"  k;-/ 

170.  175.  189.  200.  220. 
Tahk-o  Like.    11.5,    117"',  "us.  H;), 

350. 
Tahko  Kivei-.  117,  ;i,5(i. 
Tahk-on,i^  Indians.  242. 
Tamma'   Indians,   240     •A17     300 

303.  • 

TanaiKi'  River,  240.  247,  289   300 

•■"'I.  ;!02.  303.  30.5.  ;5()(;,  352        ' 
Tantalus  Butte,  19!». 


m' 


II, 


i;ir'"t 


p:r   I 


fi  ii':  ■ : 


m  ] 

.'■  '''  'i 
HA : 


fm 


I  ''Is 


.1    ,    i 


1M 


i 


-118 


IXDEX. 


Tii-fot'-leo  Mount,   see   lioundiiry 

Biitt('. 
Tcliifha^'oir  Island,  12. 

'Jcnts,  i-';j,  i;]().  l>;5;5,  2;m,  2-ir,. 

Terns.  <ll. 

Terraces    111,  IM,  l^JC. 
Thousand    Islands    of    St.    Law- 
rence, 111'). 
Thunder.  l.Jii,  2:M. 
Timber.  2-J.  2i\  '.Vi,  ',\'.\  4(),   CT,  SO, 

N7.  111.  iir,  ii.\  100,  i;5-,>,  i:}.-).  i:)0, 
icci,  isi.  IS.-),  iss,  1!);-).  y;!;?,  2W, 
2-12,  2-18,  207,  2i);5.  ^05,  3;}!,  .'s:'.:., 
.•u:.. 

Tlinkit  Indians,  -14,  45,  40,  51,  52, 

lo;!,  104,  2011. 
Toboggans,  see  Sledfjes. 
Totems.  24,  27.  4:5.  210,  219,  21)2. 
Totem-iioles,  ;32,  42,  4:5,  44. 
ar,ii'ut-(river),  olO. 

'     ci<inL,'"  (canoes  or  raft),  O;}, 

r.i.  07.  2:57. 
Traders.  4<»,  00,  114,  207,  211,  212, 

2;}1),  244,  245,  247,  274,  277,  ~'S4, 

314,  ;)22,  ;?:5;}. 

Tradin.n' material,  22().  227. 
Traders'  stores  or  stations,  49,  231, 

2.'5S,  243,  245,  259,  200,  208,  280, 

300.  315,  31S. 
Trout.  47.  OS.  70.  Ill,  183,22:3. 
Tsimi)sean  Indians,  104. 
Tundras,  191,  293,  297. 

U 

Upper  Karaparts  of  the  Yukon,  see 
Kamj)arts. 


Vancouver  Island,  12,  13,  16. 
Venus  (visible  at  midnight)  124. 
Victoria  (city),  V.  I..  B.  (\,  14,  15. 
Victoria  (steamer),  10,  11,  35. 
Vo'canic  ash.  UK). 
Von  Wilc/.ek  Vidley,  193,  197,  200, 

201.  203.  351. 
Vni/((,/(fHis,  202,  281,  282,  283. 

W 

Ward.  Ml'..  24.  25. 
AVasliington  Territory,  12. 
Waterfalls.  21.  22,  58,  (iS.  72. 
Water  Gap  (Delaware  River),    16. 


Watson,  Serene,  Prof.,  211,  347, 

34S. 
AVatson  Valley,  108.  109.  350. 
j  Western    Union   Tele,ij;raph    C'oni- 
I      pany.  117.  lis.  21)'. 
Wlieaton  River,  107.  350. 
Wiiite  Kiver.  125,    121),   223,    227, 

239,  240,  241.  25(').  351. 
Wliite  strijKi   on    river   bank — see 

A'oicanic  ash. 
Whymper  Kiver,  292,  204. 
Wil'lard,  liev.  KuLceneS.,  54,  57. 
Willows,  34,   07,'  70.  90.  91,    128, 

155,    1.59,    199,    210,    237,    3,35, 

.3,37. 
Wilson,  Dr.  Geo.  F.,  Surgeon  U.S. 

A.,  9,  50,   51,  OS,  70,   111,   154, 

183,  2(i3.  27,",.  280,  293,  335. 
Wrangell.  2(5.  27.  28. 
Wrestling  (>f  Indian  boys,  79. 
Wolves,  22'.'.  294.  297. 
Wood,  Lieut.  C.  E.  S.,  49. 


Yellowstone  Canon,  10,  207. 

"^  osemite.  The,  207. 

Yukocai'gut  (river),  310.  352. 

Yuiu.'kon,  (river),  see  White  River. 

Yukon.  Fort.  117,  150.  151,  211, 
210,  23S,  2()5,  200,  270,  27.3,  274, 
275.  277,  278,  279,  2S0,  287,  293, 
294,  3:52.  :!S5,  351,  352. 

Yukon,  Fort,  Indians,  280,  284. 

Yukon  Uiver,  11,  .37,  59,  00,  (H. 
88,  90.  103.  115,  IKi,  117,  118, 
125,  120),  129,  130,  1.33,  1,34,  135, 
130.  138,  139,  151.  154,  157,  l(i3, 
105.  KiS,  109,  17,3.  170,177.  ISO, 
189.  UK  ,  193.  llM,  190,  203.  204, 

207,  208.  2i1,  212,  213,  215.  217, 
220.  224.  227,  229,  230.  239.  240. 
241,  244,  247,  2,50,  2,53.  250.  20O. 

208,  209,  270,  277,  279.  281.  284, 
287.  292,  293,  ,301,  ,302.  305.  3(K;, 
312,  317,319,321.320,  327,  330. 
,347.  350,  351,3,52. 

"Yukon"'  (river  ^steamer).  205, 
200.  20S.  275.  2T0.  277.  284,  316, 
327,  330,  332,  333,335,  33!»,  341. 

Yukon  Valh^v,  125,  199,  2,39,  266, 
321,  338,  347. 


M,.i»m^jmH:*y'L'itU,^::^  ;»ffl'i*Jil 


2S-1. 
<»,   (!1. 
'.  lis, 

r.  ISO, 

5.  2(14. 

K   217, 

•.  240. 

I.  2(;o. 

,  2S4. 

.  ;5o(>, 


